Preparation and in vitro characterization of BC/PVA hydrogel composite for its potential use as artificial cornea biomaterial

In order to investigate the potential use for bacterial cellulose (BC) as a novel artificial cornea replacement, BC/poly(vinyl alcohol) (BC/PVA) hydrogel composites were synthesized by freezing-thaw method. The BC/PVA composites were characterized by UV–Vis spectrophotometer (UV–Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, mechanical property tests and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses. Our results showed that the resultant BC/PVA composites exhibited desirable properties as artificial cornea replacement biomaterial including high water content, high visible light transmittance and suitable UV absorbance, increased mechanical strength and appropriate thermal properties. Results of this work revealed that the BC/PVA composites exhibited some promising characteristics as artificial cornea composite material and may be improved further for its realistic applications.