ABSTRACT
The preparation of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) cryogels has been the subject of research for numerous works since their discovery in 1970 [1]. The cryogenic treatment basically consists of freezing an initially homogeneous polymer solution at low temperatures, storing it in the frozen state for a denite time, and nally defrosting it (Figure 4.1) [2]. Freezing is generally performed at a relatively high cooling rate, and, although solid physical gels are already obtained by imposing a single freeze-thaw cycle, freezing and thawing can
CONTENTS
4.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................83 4.2 Extending the Compositional Nature of PVA Cryogels ........................85
