Effects of crosslinking methods on structure and properties of cellulose/PVA hydrogels

A series of hydrogels were prepared from cellulose and PVA in NaOH/urea aqueous solution using both physical and chemical crosslinking methods. The hydrogels were secure and biodegradable materials. Their structure and properties were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, DSC, XRD and SEM. The results indicated that all of the cellulose/PVA hydrogels exhibited homogeneous porous structures and a certain miscibility. The swelling degree and water uptake of the chemical hydrogels were markedly higher than those of the physical hydrogel. This work demonstrates two novel methods to prepare cellulose/PVA hydrogels with different functional properties via a green process.