Poroelastic materials, methods of making such materials, biosensors comprising such materials, and methods of making and using such biosensors. According to one aspect, a poroelastic material is formed by a process that includes depositing a prepolymer composition on a substrate, annealing the prepolymer composition in a pressurized steam environment at a temperature and for a duration sufficient to form a porous medium having a solid matrix formed of a polymer derived from the prepolymer composition, infiltrating the porous medium with a liquid that includes electrically conductive nanomaterials such that the electrically conductive nanomaterials are located within pores of the porous medium, and evaporating the liquid such that the electrically conductive nanomaterials remain in and/or connected through the pores of the porous medium.

A method for the production of functionalized partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate comprising vinyl alcohol, vinylacetate and functionalized vinyl alcohol units by reacting in a melt a partially hydrolyzed polyvinyl acetate as component A with a reactive compound carrying at least one ethylenically unsaturated group and at least one reactive group reactive with hydroxyl or acetate groups as component B, in the presence of at least one stabilizer as component C and in the presence of at least one catalyst selected from the group consisting of tertiary amines and nitrogen-containing heterocycles as component D, the method comprising the steps: feeding the components into a mixing device capable of heating, melting and mixing components A, B, C and D, heating, melting and mixing components A, B, C and D in the device to give a melt and reacting components A and B in the melt.

Disclosed herein are water-soluble films and/or water soluble unit dose articles comprising a water soluble mixture comprising a polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and methods of making and using the same.

Embodiments of the present invention provide users with a system and method for manufacturing water-based hydrophobic aerogels and aerogel composites. The system and method can be carried out in a manner which is more rapid than typical ways and can be readily scalable. The method of manufacture is useful for producing water based hydrophobic aerogels and aerogel composites on a large scale with good homogeneity and consistency. Advantageously, the method of manufacture also has the benefit of a shorter processing time due to the vacuum homogenizing and mixing processes, the use of microwave assisted vacuum freeze drying for ease of synthesis of water-based hydrophobic aerogels.

Artificial cartilage materials for repair and replacement of cartilage, such as load-bearing and articular cartilage. The artificial cartilage materials can include a hydrogel with an internal polymer support network that impart the hydrogel mechanical properties similar to that of natural cartilage. In some examples, the hydrogels include a cross-linked cellulose network and a double network of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyacrylamide-methyl propyl sulfonic acid (PAMPS) polymers. The hydrogels may include specific formulations of different polymers to impart mechanical properties that are within a cartilage equivalent range. The artificial cartilage materials may include a porous base that is bonded to the hydrogel for interfacing with surrounding tissues and promoting ingrowth of bone and/or cartilage. Thus, the materials may be well suited for forming a synthetic graft, such as an osteochondral graft, for implantation into a patient's body.

The invention provides hydrogel, wherein the hydrogel has a supramolecular cross-linked network obtainable or obtained from the complexation of an aqueous composition including a host, such as cucurbituril, and one or more polymers having suitable guest functionality. One or more polymers in the aqueous composition may have a molecular weight of 50 kDa or more, such as 200 kDa or more. The hydrogel may hold a component, such as a therapeutic compound or a biological molecule. The hydrogels are suitable for use in medicine.

The present application discloses a polyvinyl alcohol composition, as well as a preparation method and polyvinyl alcohol medical catheter containing thereof, wherein raw materials include the following components: 60-90 parts of polyvinyl alcohol; 0.1-3 parts of glutaraldehyde; and the polyvinyl alcohol composition is made by mixing the polyvinyl alcohol in molten state with the glutaraldehyde in an acidic environment.

A method of producing embolic particles includes forming a master batch of embolic particles, wherein the master batch of particles includes a plurality of negatively charged loading sites. The method also includes modifying the master batch of particles to form an activated batch of particles by reacting the master patch of particles with a bridging agent. The activated batch of particles includes a plurality of activated loading sites configured to bond to a negatively charged drug.

A fiberglass reinforced aerogel composite may include coarse glass fibers, glass microfibers, aerogel particles, and a binder. The coarse glass fibers may have an average fiber diameter between about 8 μm and about 20 μm. The glass microfibers may have an average fiber diameter between about 0.5 μm and about 3 μm. The glass microfibers may be homogenously dispersed within the coarse glass fibers. The aerogel particles may be homogenously dispersed within the coarse glass fibers and the glass microfibers. The fiberglass reinforced aerogel composite may include between about 50 wt. % and about 75 wt. % of the aerogel particles. The binder bonds the coarse glass fibers, the glass microfibers, and the aerogel particles together.

In one or more embodiments, the present invention provides a polymer composition for use in, cosmetics, coatings, inks, polymer compounding formulation comprising an all-natural, DHN-based, nitrogen-free black knot fungal (BKF) allomelanin extracted from black knots (a fungal growth formed by Apiosporina morbosa). The BKF melanin is naturally sourced, economically extracted, and quite unexpectedly, has been found to have better UV absorbing and antioxidant properties than synthetic melanin (polydopamine) and commercially available sepia melanin. In various embodiments, a small amount of the BKF melanin is substantially uniformly blended into a polymer or similar material to create a composition having excellent UV absorption and antioxidant properties. Surprisingly, it has also been found that the UV absorption and antioxidant properties of these polymer compositions can withstand heating and other processing steps associated with polymers, and in particular, rubber without significant reduction in effectiveness.