Collagen-synthetic polymer interactions in solution and in thin films

The miscibility of four different systems: collagen/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) PVP, collagen/poly(ethylene oxide) PEO, collagen/poly(ethylene glycol) PEG and collagen/poly(vinyl alcohol) PVA has been studied by viscosimetry and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was found that collagen and PVP are miscible due to the strong interactions between the synthetic and biological component, mainly by hydrogen bonds. Moreover, it was found that collagen and PEO are immiscible as there is a lack of strong interactions between the synthetic and biological component. PEG and PVA were partially miscible with collagen. Blending of collagen with synthetic polymers gives the possibility of producing new materials for potential biomedical applications. However, biocompatibility of the new materials is worse than that for collagen.