Chemical hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol), PVA, were obtained by reacting telechelic PVA bearing
aldehydic groups at both ends of the chain with the hydroxylic moiety of the polymer. These networks were
studied by dynamic light scattering around the sol−gel transition threshold. The auto-correlation function,
g
(2)(q,t), displays nonergodic behavior when the system enters the gel phase. Appropriate ensemble averaging
of the g
(2)(q,t) yields the dynamic structure factor f(q,t). To extract from the f(q,t) the characteristic parameters
of the network, we adopted a model originally proposed for colloidal gels. A correct description of the f(q,t)
was obtained. The results were compared with those obtained independently on the same type of hydrogels
by equilibrium swelling and compression modulus measurements. A link to macroscopic properties of the
gels is also shown.