Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (670 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A polymer prepared from polyvinyl acetates by replacement of the acetate groups with hydroxyl groups. It is used as a pharmaceutic aid and ophthalmic lubricant as well as in the manufacture of surface coatings artificial sponges, cosmetics, and other products.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Alcohol, Polyvinyl; Polyviol; Liquifilm Tears; Tears, Liquifilm.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Alcohols; Polyvinyls
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 8,398 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Polyvinyl Alcohol” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 3,567 of them (42.5%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2020 onward with 3,567 records.
Reviews account for 145 records (1.7%) and meta-analyses for 9. Randomized controlled trials number 111 (1.3%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 976 |
| 2000-2009 | 1,244 |
| 2010-2019 | 2,611 |
| 2020 onward | 3,567 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 145 | 1.7% |
| Meta-analyses | 9 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 111 | 1.3% |
Method: PubMed query "Polyvinyl Alcohol"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals
Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bio-inspired sensitive and reversible mechanochromisms via strain-dependent cracks and folds | 2016 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 114 | cc by PMID 27389480 · DOI · PMC4941047 |
| Hemostatic and antibacterial PVA/Kaolin composite sponges loaded with penicillin-streptomycin for wound dressing applications | 2021 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 79 | cc by PMID 33564036 · DOI · PMC7873205 |
| Conducting molybdenum sulfide/graphene oxide/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite hydrogel for repairing spinal cord injury | 2022 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 58 | cc by PMID 35524268 · DOI · PMC9074236 |
| Sulfate resistance of polyvinyl alcohol and basalt fibers reinforced red mud concrete | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 0 | cc by PMID 42726737 · DOI · PMC13567797 |
Bio-inspired sensitive and reversible mechanochromisms via strain-dependent cracks and folds [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- A number of marine organisms use muscle-controlled surface structures to achieve rapid changes in colour and transparency with outstanding reversibility.
- Closing excerpt
- The EM device can reversibly reveal and conceal any desirable patterns.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (135 words)
A number of marine organisms use muscle-controlled surface structures to achieve rapid changes in colour and transparency with outstanding reversibility. Inspired by these display tactics, we develop analogous deformation-controlled surface-engineering approaches via strain-dependent cracks and folds to realize the following four mechanochromic devices: (1) transparency change mechanochromism (TCM), (2) luminescent mechanochromism (LM), (3) colour alteration mechanochromism (CAM) and (4) encryption mechanochromism (EM). These devices are based on a simple bilayer system that exhibits a broad range of mechanochromic behaviours with high sensitivity and reversibility. The TCM device can reversibly switch between transparent and opaque states. The LM can emit intensive fluorescence as stretched with very high strain sensitivity. The CAM can turn fluorescence from green to yellow to orange as stretched within 20% strain. The EM device can reversibly reveal and conceal any desirable patterns.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 27389480 · DOI · PMC4941047
Hemostatic and antibacterial PVA/Kaolin composite sponges loaded with penicillin-streptomycin for wound dressing applications [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Hemorrhage is the major hindrance over the wound healing, which triggers microbial infections and might provoke traumatic death.
- Closing excerpt
- 1 sponge could be applied as a multifunctional wound dressing.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (211 words)
Hemorrhage is the major hindrance over the wound healing, which triggers microbial infections and might provoke traumatic death. Herein, new hemostatic and antibacterial PVA/Kaolin composite sponges were crosslinked using a freeze-thawing approach and boosted by penicillin-streptomycin (Pen-Strep). Physicochemical characteristics of developed membranes were analyzed adopting Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), a thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Furthermore, the impacts of kaolin concentrations on porosity, swelling behavior, gel fraction, and degradation of the membranes were investigated. SEM analyses revealed a spongy-like structure of hydrogels associated with high dispersion of kaolin inside PVA matrix. The thermal characteristics of PVA/Kaolin were significantly ameliorated compared to the prime PVA. Moreover, the results exhibited significant variations of swelling performance, surface roughness and pore capacity due to the alterations of kaolin contents. Besides, the adhesive strength ability was manifestly enhanced for PVA-K0.1 sponge. Biomedical evaluations including antibacterial activity, blood clotting index and thrombogenicity of the membranes were studied. The contact of PVA/Kaolin to blood revealed notable augmentation in blood clotting. Furthermore, the incorporation of kaolin into PVA presented mild diminution in antibacterial activities. Moreover, PVA/Kaolin composites illustrated no cellular toxicity towards fibroblast cells. These remarkable features substantiate that the PVA-K0.1 sponge could be applied as a multifunctional wound dressing.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 33564036 · DOI · PMC7873205
Conducting molybdenum sulfide/graphene oxide/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite hydrogel for repairing spinal cord injury [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- A sort of composite hydrogel with good biocompatibility, suppleness, high conductivity, and anti-inflammatory activity based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and molybdenum sulfide/graphene oxide (MoS2/GO) nanomaterial has been developed for spinal cord injury (SCI) restoration.
- Closing excerpt
- Overall, our work provides a new sort of hydrogels for SCI reparation, which shows great promise for improving the dilemma in SCI therapy.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (137 words)
A sort of composite hydrogel with good biocompatibility, suppleness, high conductivity, and anti-inflammatory activity based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and molybdenum sulfide/graphene oxide (MoS2/GO) nanomaterial has been developed for spinal cord injury (SCI) restoration. The developed (MoS2/GO/PVA) hydrogel exhibits excellent mechanical properties, outstanding electronic conductivity, and inflammation attenuation activity. It can promote neural stem cells into neurons differentiation as well as inhibit the astrocytes development in vitro. In addition, the composite hydrogel shows a high anti-inflammatory effect. After implantation of the composite hydrogel in mice, it could activate the endogenous regeneration of the spinal cord and inhibit the activation of glial cells in the injured area, thus resulting in the recovery of locomotor function. Overall, our work provides a new sort of hydrogels for SCI reparation, which shows great promise for improving the dilemma in SCI therapy.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 35524268 · DOI · PMC9074236
Sulfate resistance of polyvinyl alcohol and basalt fibers reinforced red mud concrete [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- The present study investigated the reinforcement effects of polyvinyl alcohol fiber (PVAF) and basalt fiber (BF) on the performance of fiber reinforced red mud concrete (FRMC) under sulfate drying-wetting cycle.
- Closing excerpt
- Meanwhile, the synergistic effect of the fibers delayed the degradation of C-S-H gel, thereby effectively improving the sulfate resistance of FRMC.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (187 words)
The present study investigated the reinforcement effects of polyvinyl alcohol fiber (PVAF) and basalt fiber (BF) on the performance of fiber reinforced red mud concrete (FRMC) under sulfate drying-wetting cycle. The underlying mechanisms were further explored through macroscopic performance tests in combination with pore structure, micro-morphology, and phase composition analyses. The results showed that incorporation of BF exhibited a more pronounced improvement in the sulfate resistance of FRMC compared to PVAF. Additionally, FRMC with hybrid PVAF of 0.15% and BF of 0.1% had higher sulfate resistance coefficient (0.854) after 60 cycles, showing the optimal resistance to sulfate attack. The microstructural observations showed that fibers effectively delayed the initiation and propagation of cracks under sulfate drying-wetting cycles. Thus, the fibers provided space for the accumulation of corrosion products, continuously increasing the mass of FRMC, and maintaining overall structural integrity. Pore structure analysis indicated that an appropriate amount of hybrid fibers optimized the pore structure, reducing the porosity and average pore diameter to 20.30% and 26.80 nm, respectively. Meanwhile, the synergistic effect of the fibers delayed the degradation of C-S-H gel, thereby effectively improving the sulfate resistance of FRMC.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42726737 · DOI · PMC13567797
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article A review of polyvinyl alcohol and its uses in cartilage and orthopedic applications [5]
- Research article Review of the oral toxicity of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) [6]
- Research article Biomaterials of PVA and PVP in medical and pharmaceutical applications: Perspectives and challenges [7]
- Research article Properties and Applications of Polyvinyl Alcohol, Halloysite Nanotubes and Their Nanocomposites [8]
- Research article Monoliths for fast bioseparation and bioconversion and their applications in biotechnology [9]
- Research article Recent advances in PVA-polysaccharide based hydrogels and electrospun nanofibers in biomedical applications: A review [10]
References
- Zeng S, Zhang D, Huang W, Wang Z, Freire SG, Yu X, et al.. Bio-inspired sensitive and reversible mechanochromisms via strain-dependent cracks and folds. . 2016. PMID 27389480 · DOI · PMC4941047
- Tamer TM, Sabet MM, Omer AM, Abbas E, Eid AI, Mohy-Eldin MS, et al.. Hemostatic and antibacterial PVA/Kaolin composite sponges loaded with penicillin-streptomycin for wound dressing applications. . 2021. PMID 33564036 · DOI · PMC7873205
- Chen L, Wang W, Lin Z, Lu Y, Chen H, Li B, et al.. Conducting molybdenum sulfide/graphene oxide/polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposite hydrogel for repairing spinal cord injury. . 2022. PMID 35524268 · DOI · PMC9074236
- Xu F, Liu A, Liu Z, Fang Z. Sulfate resistance of polyvinyl alcohol and basalt fibers reinforced red mud concrete. . 2026. PMID 42726737 · DOI · PMC13567797
- Baker MI, Walsh SP, Schwartz Z, Boyan BD. A review of polyvinyl alcohol and its uses in cartilage and orthopedic applications. J Biomed Mater Res B Appl Biomater. 2012. PMID 22514196 · DOI
- DeMerlis CC, Schoneker DR. Review of the oral toxicity of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Food Chem Toxicol. 2003. PMID 12504164 · DOI
- Teodorescu M, Bercea M, Morariu S. Biomaterials of PVA and PVP in medical and pharmaceutical applications: Perspectives and challenges. Biotechnol Adv. 2019. PMID 30472307 · DOI
- Gaaz TS, Sulong AB, Akhtar MN, Kadhum AA, Mohamad AB, Al-Amiery AA. Properties and Applications of Polyvinyl Alcohol, Halloysite Nanotubes and Their Nanocomposites. Molecules. 2015. PMID 26703542 · DOI · PMC6332455
- Jungbauer A, Hahn R. Monoliths for fast bioseparation and bioconversion and their applications in biotechnology. J Sep Sci. 2004. PMID 15354554 · DOI
- Kamoun EA, Loutfy SA, Hussein Y, Kenawy ES. Recent advances in PVA-polysaccharide based hydrogels and electrospun nanofibers in biomedical applications: A review. Int J Biol Macromol. 2021. PMID 34358597 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
See how EvidenceLib is built. Spotted an error? Email support@evidencehelix.com.
Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.