Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVAl) and poly(N-2-vinyl-pyrrolidone) hydrogels nanostructured by laponite clay for drug delivery

Abstract

Hydrogels for wound dressings are usually developed for contact surfaces where mechanical properties are conveniently required. In this sense nanocomposite hydrogels based on PVAl (poly(vinyl alcohol) and PVP (poly(N-2-vinil-pirrolidone)) containing 0.5-1.5 wt% of the synthetic laponite RD clay were prepared by a gamma radiation process and compared with similar membranes composed separately of PVP or PVAl. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of clay on the properties and the differences of the polymer blend instead of a unique polymer. The morphology of the hydrogels was evaluated by spectrometric techniques using XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), swelling assay, and FTIR (infrared spectroscopy). The swelling kinetics at 22 °C and the mechanical properties by a tensile test comprised the structural properties that were assessed. The results showed PVA/PVP network depends directly on the clay concentration in the nanocomposite hydrogels. The blend PVP/PVAl proved to have potentially efficient mechanical properties for drug delivery in the treatment of wounds.