Preparation and characterization of alkylated poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels using alkyl halides
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 5, 2026
A Freeze-Thawing Method to Prepare Chitosan-Poly(vinyl alcohol) Hydrogels Without Crosslinking Agents and Diflunisal Release Studies
Published on: January 14, 2020
A C Duncan1, M V Sefton, J L Brash
1Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
A poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel coated onto polyethylene was partially alkylated by reaction with an alkylhalide (C4, C8, or C18) in the presence of a deprotonating agent (sodium ethoxide or potassium tert-butoxiDATE Surface coverage determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was respectively approximately 34, 25, and approximately 8% for the C4, C8, and C18 modified surfaces. Statistically significant differences were observed in the fraction of C8 and C18 grafted alkyl groups as a function of depth (i.e. take-off angle) indicating the presence of a verticle composition gradient. All three surfaces showed maximal surface coverage of alkyl groups after 1 h reaction. At this reaction time, no further coverage was observed beyond a base/PVA ratio twenty times greater than the stoichiometric ratio. The advancing contact angle data exhibited an increase in hydrophobicity that correlated with the degree of coverage obtained by XPS: 90 +/- 1, 83 +/- 0.5, and 71 +/- 1 deg for C4, C8 and C18 alkylated PVA, and 55 +/- 2 deg for PVA respectively. Large contact angle hysteresis was observed on all three surfaces consistent with surface heterogeneity.
Related Concept Videos
02:48Conversion of Alcohols to Alkyl Halides
01:12Acid Halides to Esters: Alcoholysis
01:38Preparation of Alcohols via Substitution Reactions
Alcohols can be synthesized from alkyl halides via nucleophilic substitution reactions. The highly polar carbon-halogen bond in the substrate makes halide a good leaving group. The hydroxide ion or water can act as a nucleophile to take the place of halide and form an alcohol. The substitution reactions occur via two different reaction pathways, SN1 or SN2, depending on the nature of carbon attached to the halide.
Primary alcohols are synthesized from primary alkyl halides, and the...
02:15Preparation of Alcohols via Addition Reactions
The acid-catalyzed addition of water to the double bond of alkenes is a large-scale industrial method used to synthesize low-molecular-weight alcohols. An acidic atmosphere is required to allow the hydrogen in the water molecule to act as an electrophile and attack the double bond in an alkene. The addition of a proton to the double bond creates a carbocation intermediate. The proton preferentially bonds to the less substituted end of the double bond to create a more stable carbocation...
01:20Aldehydes and Ketones with Water: Hydrate Formation
The formation of hydrates is a reversible reaction. Hydrate formation is influenced by steric and electronic factors accompanying the alkyl substituents on the carbonyl group: The rate of hydrate formation increases with a decrease in the number of alkyl groups attached to the carbonyl carbon. Hence,...
02:35Acid-Catalyzed Dehydration of Alcohols to Alkenes