Hybrid materials on the basis of gelatin and hydrophilic-hydrophobic silica

Silica-gelatin films with different proportions of gelatin and silica have been prepared on the basis of gelatin and hydrophilic or hydrophilic-hydrophobic silica. The wettability of the hybrid materials, their swelling in aqueous media, and the thermal desorption of water from the obtained films are studied. It is shown that the presence of hydrophilic silica in the material gives rise to inhibition of swelling of the gelatin films and to a decrease in their affinity to water, while the replacement of hydrophilic silica by hydrophilic-hydrophobic silica allows one to additionally increase the hydrophobicity of hybrid materials.