Hexadecylamine Addition Promotes Crystallization-Driven Functionalities in Freezing–Thaw PVA Hydrogels
Alexis Alvear-Jiménez, Mercedes Fernández, Alejandro J. Müller, Rebeca Hernández
TL;DR
Adding hexadecylamine to PVA hydrogels during freezing-thawing improves their structure and properties, enabling self-healing and better adhesion without extra chemicals.
Contribution
A novel method for creating functional PVA hydrogels using hexadecylamine to drive crystallization without surfactants or cross-linkers.
Findings
Hexadecylamine promotes PVA crystallization and phase separation during freezing–thaw blending.
PVA/C16 hydrogels show enhanced thermomechanical properties and self-healing capabilities.
The method enables gel formation in water without surfactants, solvents, or cross-linkers.
Abstract
Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is widely employed for hydrogel fabrication due to its ability to form stable, physically or chemically cross-linked three-dimensional networks. Among production methods, the freezing–thaw (F–T) technique stands out for its simplicity and effectiveness. This study presents a straightforward methodology for preparing functional PVA hydrogels in aqueous media by blending PVA with a crystallizable hexadecyl alkylamine (C16). Incorporating small amounts of hydrophobic, amphiphilic hexadecylamine into PVA hydrogels via freezing–thaw blending significantly alters crystallization and network structure, enabling gel formation in water without surfactants, solvents, or cross-linkers. C16 enhances phase separation and promotes PVA crystalline domains while remaining amorphous. The resulting PVA/C16 hydrogels exhibit enhanced thermomechanical properties, demonstrating…
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Taxonomy
TopicsHydrogels: synthesis, properties, applications · Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials · Advanced Materials and Mechanics