A novel hot-pressing method for preparing transparent poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogels (PVA-Hs) was developed, without using toxic dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) for solubilizing PVA during gelation. Size distribution of microcrystallites was uniform in PVA-Hs prepared by hot-pressing method with water, leading to formation of a transparent hydrogel. This could be a crucial step toward overcoming the current challenges for biomedical applications of PVA-Hs prepared without using toxic DMSO, especially in the field of artificial cartilages.
- Tomoyo Sakaguchi
- Shusaku Nagano
- Kazuaki Matsumura
