Polymer hydrogels based on polyvinyl alcohol and zinc oxide [in Ukrainian]

Recently, issues of technogenic and ecological safety have become increasingly relevant. Technogenic accidents and ecological disasters have serious consequences for the environment and public health. This forces humanity to look for ways to mitigate the impact of such events and prevent their occurrence in the future. Innovative technologies and developments aimed at improving the environment and public health come to the fore. The urgency of improving dressings is due to the growing number of patients who suffer from chronic wounds, injuries and burns every year. Traditional gauze bandages have significant limitations, in particular, insufficient absorption of exudate and the risk of adhesion to the wound. In response to these challenges, interest in polymer hydrogels is growing, which must be non-toxic, able to maintain a moist environment and demonstrate antimicrobial properties. The work is devoted to the formation of zinc-containing hydrogel materials based on polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene glycol. Hydrogel materials were formed by reducing zinc ions with ascorbic acid in an alkaline medium with subsequent crosslinking of the samples by irradiation with a high-energy electron beam. Using the wide-angle X-ray diffraction method, the structural features of the hydrogel materials were investigated and the presence of zinc oxide in the studied samples was confirmed. It was found that the polymer hydrogel systems PVA-PEG-1% ZnO exhibit antimicrobial and antiviral activity. It was established that the studied polymer hydrogel materials with zinc oxide particles do not have a cytotoxic effect.