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Updated: Nov 27, 2025

Inkjet-printed Polyvinyl Alcohol Multilayers
Published on: May 11, 2017
Physicochemical Characterization of Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone: A Tale of Two Polyvinyl Pyrrolidones
Laura Karina Mireles1, Menq-Rong Wu2, Nada Saadeh1
1Laboratoire d'Innovation et d'Analyse de Bioperformance, Département de Génie mécanique, École Polytechnique, CP 6079, Succursale C-V, Montréal, Québec H3C 3A7, Canada.
Abstract:
Of several samples of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) used to coat and stabilize freshly manufactured aqueous dispersions of silver nanoparticles, one batch gave anomalous results: the dispersion maintained continued stability, even on extensive dilution. Our efforts to understand this desirable feature concluded that the generally used spectral method of PVP purity verification, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, was incapable of answering our inquiry. This led to the employment of several other methods, including X-ray photoelectron and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopies, which ultimately revealed several possible reasons for the dilution stability, including incomplete PVP hydrolysis during manufacture and the presence of hydroperoxide contaminants. It led, as well, to explanations for the shortcomings of FTIR spectroscopy as a verification method for PVP purity.
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