Swelling characteristics / solvent content

Hydrophilic polymers are often used to modify the properties of surfaces. Among other benefits, they tend to make surfaces more biocompatible. The success of such hydrophilic polymer coatings depends on the structure of the layer they form at the surface. This is in turn dependent on solution conditions such as pH, salt concentration, the presence of small molecules such as surfactants. These layers typically range in thickness from a few nanometers to a few micrometers, and often form so-called “hydrogels”. The viscoelastic nature of a hydrogel is a critical parameter which can vary considerably. Below are examples of application areas where instruments from the Biolin Scientific group can be used.