Dynamics in poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) based hydrogel: Neutron scattering study

Abstract

Results of quasielastic neutron scattering measurements carried out on Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) based hydrogels are reported here. PVA hydrogels are formed using Borax as a cross-linking agent in D sub(2)O solvent. This synthetic polymer can be used for obtaining the hydrogels with potential use in the field of biomaterials. The aim of this paper is to study the dynamics of polymer chain in the hydrogel since it is known that polymer mobility influences the kinetics of loading and release of drugs. It is found that the dynamics of hydrogen atoms in the polymer chain could be described by a model where the diffusion of hydrogen atoms is limited within a spherical volume of radius 3.3 Angstrom. Average diffusivity estimated from the behavior of quasielastic width is found to be 1.2 x 10 sup(-5) cm sup(2)/sec.