Polyvinyl alcohol composite gel membrane modified by natural polysaccharide and waterborne polyurethane

Abstract

A new composite gel material was obtained by blending polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aqueous solution with sodium alginate (SA), sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC‐Na), waterborne polyurethane (WPU), and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nTiO2) were doped as an antibacterial agent. The liquid composite could to form a transparent protective gel membrane. The microstructure of the gel membrane was observed via scanning electron microscopy, and the intermolecular interaction was investigated by total reflection infrared spectroscopy. The results demonstrated a homogeneous phase and significant hydrogen bonding between chain segments. The best results indicated that the equilibrium swelling rate increased from 147% to 170%, the 3‐h water vapor transmission rate increased from 279.41 g/m2∙day to 374.75 g/m2∙day, and the water contact angle increased from 16.8° to 60.7°, relative to the PVA substrate. The properties of this composite gel material suggest possible biomedical usage, particularly in skin and wound protection scenarios.Highlights A novel gel film‐forming material consisting of a viscous liquid is prepared. Adding polysaccharides modifiers resulted in significant improvements of the performance. The bacteriostatic and antihemorrhagic properties are introduced to the material. Low‐irritating materials were used to prepare the gel material.