With the worsening of the oil-product pollution problem, oil-water separation has attracted increased attention in recent years. In this study, a porous three-dimensional (3D) carbon aerogel based on cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by a facile and green approach. The resulting CNF/PVA/GO aerogels were synthesized through an environm...

Polymer composite yarns containing a high loading of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWNTs) have been developed in which the inherent acrylate-based organic coating on the surface of the DWNT bundles interacts strongly with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) through an extensive hydrogen-bond network. This design takes advantage of a toughening mechanism seen in spider silk and collagen, which contain a...

The need of innovative, multifunctional biomaterials for the partial or complete tissue replacement is the driving force for the search of improvements of the performances of the available materials and in the formulation of new ones. Addressing the focus to vitreous substitution, we have explored the possibility of using injectable aqueous solutions of poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA, derivatives abl...

This paper focuses on the effect of okra bast fillers biodegradation poly(vinyl alcohol) composites. Fibers were obtained from plant stems via biological degumming and subjected to different chemical treatments such as scouring, alkalizing, maleic anhydride treatment, vinyl acetate grafting. The fibers ground PVA-okra filler composites produced at 20 wt% fiber load solution casting method. test...

In this study, we demonstrate how the diffusion of probe particles in aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solutions and gels is affected by: (i) the presence of cross-links, (ii) the cross-link density, (iii) the polymer concentration. We apply fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) to measure the diffusion time of a rhodamine-based fluorescent particle (TAMRA) and TAMRA-labeled dextran in P...

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogels are formed from PVA solution when physical cross-links form during freeze/thaw cycling. By applying a stress during the freeze/thaw process, PVA hydrogels with anisotropic mechanical properties are produced. We have used small- and ultra-small-angle neutron scattering to study the structure at length scales of 2 nm to 10 mum. By supplementing the neutron data...

Neural electrodes, the core component of neural prostheses, are usually encapsulated in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). However, PDMS can generate a tissue response after implantation. Based on the physicochemical properties and excellent biocompatibility of polyurethane (PU) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) when used as coating materials, we synthesized PU/PVA hydrogel coatings and coated the surfac...

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is characterized for its high water holding capacity, high crystallinity, an ultrafine fiber network and high tensile strength. This work demonstrates the production of a new interpenetrated polymer network nanocomposite obtained through the incorporation of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) on the BC matrix and evaluates the effect of oven drying on the morphological, mechanic...

Functionalized electrospun nanofibers were integrated into microfluidic channels to serve as on-chip bioseparators. Specifically, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) nanofiber mats were shown to successfully serve as bioseparators for negatively charged nanoparticles. Nanofibers were electrospun onto gold microelectrodes, which were incorporated into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microfluidic devices ...

Cinnamic and ferulic acid were incorporated into highly hydrolysed partially acetylated poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) for the purpose of obtaining active films. The microstructure, crystallinity, tensile barrier properties thermal behaviour analysed in order to ascertain changes provoked by phenolic acids film properties, depending on kind PVA. Phenolic more compatible with Ferulic led greater PVA...