A porous,biocompatible,and modifiable chitosan (CS)/poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hybrid membrane, which can be evaluated as wound dressing,has been prepared by lyophilization method and using the low toxicity solvents. Experiments illustrated that the moisture regain and porosity rate of polymer blend membranes had the similar variation tendency and got the maximum value at the case of CS/PVA weight ratio of 6∶4. And the value of water vapor transmission rate( WVTR) is conductive to the healing of wound and desirable for the application as a wound dressing.Mechanical performance test of blend membrane showed that the presence of PVA could effectively improve the interaction between CS molecules. The scanning electron microscopy( SEM)photograph confirmed the porous surface on top-layer supported by a macroporous sponge-like sub-layer of this novel type of CS blend membrane. Besides, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy( FTIR) revealed the facts that the two polymers were physically bended and certain chemical actions took place,which illustrated the good compatibility between them. Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) results showed that decomposition reaction occurred in CS at about 210℃. Introducing of PVA to CS made the decomposition temperature of blend membrane decrease. The good properties,such as moisture regain,porosity rate,and WVTR,of this kind of CS/PVA blend membranes suggested a potential application as a wound dressing in the future.
A porous,biocompatible,and modifiable chitosan (CS)/poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hybrid membrane, which can be evaluated as wound dressing,has been prepared by lyophilization method and using the low toxicity solvents. Experiments illustrated that the moisture regain and porosity rate of polymer blend membranes had the similar variation tendency and got the maximum value at the case of CS/PVA weight ratio of 6∶4. And the value of water vapor transmission rate( WVTR) is conductive to the healing of wound and desirable for the application as a wound dressing.Mechanical performance test of blend membrane showed that the presence of PVA could effectively improve the interaction between CS molecules. The scanning electron microscopy( SEM)photograph confirmed the porous surface on top-layer supported by a macroporous sponge-like sub-layer of this novel type of CS blend membrane. Besides, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy( FTIR) revealed the facts that the two polymers were physically bended and certain chemical actions took place,which illustrated the good compatibility between them. Differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) results showed that decomposition reaction occurred in CS at about 210℃. Introducing of PVA to CS made the decomposition temperature of blend membrane decrease. The good properties,such as moisture regain,porosity rate,and WVTR,of this kind of CS/PVA blend membranes suggested a potential application as a wound dressing in the future.