Dried-state bacterial cellulose (Acetobacter xylinum) and polyvinyl-alcohol-based hydrogel: An approach to a personal care material

Freeze-dried bacterial cellulose and polyvinyl alcohol were successfully prepared. The weight ratios of polyvinyl alcohol to bacterial cellulose were set at 3:1, 5:1 and 10:1. With bacterial cellulose present in the polyvinyl alcohol matrix, H-bonds formed along the cross-linked hydrogel network. The freeze-dried hydrogel presented good compatibility. The hydrogel was thermally stable up to 200 °C. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the hydrogel presented an interconnected network containing various pore sizes. Preliminary experiments on the swelling behavior of the hydrogel were done in DI water, an NaCl solution and a PBS solution. The hydrogel showed good swelling characteristics within 30 min. Importantly, the freeze-dried hydrogel is an excellent candidate for pharmaceutical and cosmetic materials.