Abstract
Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membranes have found wide application in biomedicine and pharmacy for their unique properties such as biocompatibility, elasticity and the ability to absorb large amounts of water. Also carbon nanomaterials have shown great potential in a number of applications in regenerative medicine. Nanodiamonds (ND) are a unique class of carbon nanoparticles that have become known thanks to their biocompatibility, highly functional surface and unique physical, chemical and optical properties. Nanocomposite membranes based on PVA and ND were prepared by a solution casting method to achieve an even distribution of ND in the PVA matrix. The resulting nanocomposites have excellent properties derived from ND and PVA. The mechanical properties of the membranes improved significantly with an increase in ND, suggesting a strong chemical interaction between ND and PVA. The SEM showed a uniform distribution of ND in the PVA membrane. From the results of the work we assume that ND are a suitable nano-filler for PVA membranes. This work examines the properties of ND-reinforced PVA membranes and their potential use in biomedical applications.
Highlights
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membranes or hydrogels, due to their properties, have found use in various fields such as food, textiles, stationery, and in particular biomedical and pharmaceutical industry [1,2,3,4,5]
Nanocomposite membranes based on PVA and ND were prepared by a solution casting method to achieve an even distribution of ND in the PVA matrix
Membranes with different contents of NDs were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and rheology
Summary
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membranes or hydrogels, due to their properties, have found use in various fields such as food, textiles, stationery, and in particular biomedical and pharmaceutical industry [1,2,3,4,5]. Carbon-based nanomaterials are well-known for their incredibly high mechanical properties, and they have attracted interest as reinforcing fillers for polymer nanocomposites [6]. NDs has been produced by several procedures, such as detonation shock-wave synthesis (from various starting materials), and it has been exploited in vast fields of nanotechnology [7]. We applied a sol-gel method to prepare PVA nanocomposite membranes reinforced by NDs. Incorporation of NDs to PVA matrix increase the mechanical strength of the PVA+ND membranes. The effect of NDs incorporation on the properties and morphology of the nanocomposite membranes was systematically investigated
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