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Hydrogels are materials with specific properties due to their composition of three-dimensional networks of crosslinked hydrophilic polymer chains and the ability to hold large amounts of water1. Therefore, they can be used in different fields like medicine, pharmacy, chemistry etc. In this work poly(vinyl-alcohol) based hydrogels (PVA) with the addition of sodium alginate (SA) were synthesized and characterized. PVA is a polymer with desirable properties like biocompatibility, biodegradability and nontoxicity while sodium alginate contributes to the overall quality of the prepared hydrogels due to its ability of gelling and system stabilization. If it is wanted to use hydrogels in specific applications as electrolytes for electrochemical measurements, they must possess adequate conductivity. In this work conductive hydrogels were prepared by dissolving PVA and sodium alginate in a dilute solution of citric acid and sodium hydroxide or in a solution of artificial rain, with or without glycerol. The hydrogels were synthesized by the physical method of crosslinking, which deals with freezing and thawing of the prepared solutions in repeated cycles. The hydrogels were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The content of water in hydrogels and the degree of hydrogels’ swelling in water were determined. In order to determine the conductivity and applicability of hydrogels in different electrochemical tests, the hydrogels were characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) before and after swelling in water. The results show that prepared hydrogels are conductive and with good overall properties. Acknowledgement: This research was supported by the Croatian Science Foundation, project number HRZZ-IP-2019-04-5030. 1. Mishra S., Preparation, Properties and Application of Hydrogels: A Review. In: Thakur V. K., Thakur M. K., editors. Hydrogels, Recent Advances. Singapore: Springer, 2018. p. 145-173. |
