Photochemical stability of poly(vinyl alcohol) in the presence of collagen

The photochemical stability of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in the presence of 1%, 3% and 5% of collagen has been Studied by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). PVA samples containing 1%, 3% and 5% of collagen were irradiated with UV light wavelength lambda = 254 nm in air. The results have shown that PVA in the presence of 1%, 3% and 5% of collagen is less stable under UV radiation than pure PVA. A small amount of collagen in PVA enhances photooxidation in the PVA. The amount of crystallinity in PVA containing 1%, 3% and 5% of collagen decreases faster with UV irradiation time than that for pure PVA films. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.