𝗣𝗩𝗔 𝗵𝘆𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗹𝘀 have attracted growing interest for 𝗯𝗶𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. In 𝘃𝗮𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, they represent a promising material for the fabrication of 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘀 with 𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲-𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. However, their water content confers them a dynamic behaviour.
In her new publication, Jenny Schäfer presents a comprehensive study on the 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲-𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 of PVA hydrogels over periods ranging from 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝘀, including an analysis of their 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.