| Summary: | Abstract Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based chemically cross-linked xerogels, both neat and loaded with nanoparticulate hydrophilic silica (SiO2), were obtained and characterized mainly through time domain NMR experiments (TD-NMR). Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) analyses were employed as secondary methods. TD-NMR, through the interpretation of the spin-lattice relaxation constant values and related information, showed both cross-linking and nanoparticle influences on PVA matrix. SiO2 does not interact chemically with the PVA chains, but has effect on its molecular mobility, as investigated via TD-NMR. Apparent energy of activation, spin-lattice time constant and size of spin domains in the sample have almost linear dependence with the degree of cross-linking of the PVA and are affected by the addition of SiO2. These three parameters were derived from a single set of TD-NMR experiments, which demonstrates the versatility of the technique for characterization of inorganic-organic hybrid xerogels, an important class of materials.
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