ABSTRACT
About ve decades ago, Wichterle and Lim developed a new kind of material called hydrogels (Wichterle and Lim 1960). Hydrogels are three-dimensional hydrophilic (co)polymeric networks that can swell in the presence of water or physiological uids; they are highly applicable in a variety of elds-such as pharmaceutics,
4.1 Overview of Literature Concerning Advanced Materials .............................. 59 4.2 Mixtures of Poly(vinyl alcohol) with Synthetic Polymers ............................. 61
4.2.1 Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Poly(vinylpyrrolidone) ......................................... 61 4.2.2 Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Poly(ethylene glycol) ........................................... 62 4.2.3 Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Poly(acrylamide) .................................................64 4.2.4 Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Poly(acrylic acid) .................................................64 4.2.5 Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-
propanesulfonic acid) ..........................................................................65 4.2.6 Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Poly(aniline) ........................................................66 4.2.7 Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Polysiloxane ........................................................66
