The Development and Characterization of Polycaprolactone and Titanium Dioxide Hybrids

Organic/Inorganic hybrid materials have been attracting much attention since they combine the advantages of inorganic materials with the properties of organic polymers. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2) present good thermal stability, accessibility and catalytic properties. Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a bi-ocompatible and bioresorbable material, which is being examined as biode-gradable packaging materials, controlled drug release carriers and other medical applications. Hybrids based on PCL containing different amounts of titanium dioxide nanoparticles, ranging from 0.05% to 0.35% w/w, were prepared using the solution cast method. These systems were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The FTIR analysis confirmed that there was an interaction between the PCL chains and the TiO2 nanoparticles. The XRD and DSC analysis showed that the PCL crystallization was affected by TiO2 incorporation, modifying its semi-crystalline structure to a less ordered structure. When TiO2 nanoparticles were added the values of T1H and T1ρH increased for all hybrids, therefore, their addition produced a new material with less molecular mobility. In the TG analysis, it was observed that the introduction of TiO2 nanoparticles decreased the thermal resistance of PCL. In DSC analysis, the PCL/TiO2 hybrids presented a reduction in the crystallization temperature and degree of crystallinity, except for PCL hybrids containing 0.15% w/w of TiO2 nanoparticles.