Thermal Behavior and Structural Study of SiO₂/Poly(ε-caprolactone) Hybrids Synthesized via Sol-Gel Method.

SiO₂-based organic-inorganic hybrids (OIHs) are versatile materials whose properties may change significantly because of their thermal treatment. In fact, after their preparation at low temperature by the sol-gel method, they still have reactive silanol groups due to incomplete condensation reactions that can be removed by accelerating these processes upon heating them in controlled experimental conditions. In this study, the thermal behavior of pure SiO₂ and four SiO₂-based OIHs containing increasing amount (6, 12, 24 and 50 wt %) of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) has been studied by simultaneous thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

Zirconia/Hydroxyapatite Composites Synthesized Via Sol-Gel: Influence of Hydroxyapatite Content and Heating on Their Biological Properties.

Zirconia (ZrO₂) and zirconia-based glasses and ceramics are materials proposed for use in the dental and orthopedic fields. In this work, ZrO₂ glass was modified by adding different amounts of bioactive and biocompatible hydroxyapatite (HAp). ZrO₂/HAp composites were synthesized via the sol-gel method and heated to different temperatures to induce modifications of their chemical structure, as ascertained by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis.

Modification of Ti6Al4V implant surfaces by biocompatible TiO/PCL hybrid layers prepared via sol-gel dip coating: Structural characterization, mechanical and corrosion behavior.

Surface modification of metallic implants is a promising strategy to improve tissue tolerance, osseointegration and corrosion resistance of them. In the present work, bioactive and biocompatible organic-inorganic hybrid coatings were prepared using a sol-gel dip coating route. They consist of an inorganic TiO matrix in which different percentages of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer, were incorporated.

Entrapping quercetin in silica/polyethylene glycol hybrid materials: Chemical characterization and biocompatibility.

Sol-gel synthesis was exploited to entrap quercetin, a natural occurring antioxidant polyphenol, in silica-based hybrid materials, which differed in their polyethylene glycol (PEG) content (6, 12, 24 and 50wt%). The materials obtained, whose nano-composite nature was ascertained by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), were chemically characterized by Fourier Transform InfraRed (FT-IR) and UV-Vis spectroscopies. The results prove that a reaction between the polymer and the drug occurred.

Sol-gel synthesis and characterization of SiO2/PCL hybrid materials containing quercetin as new materials for antioxidant implants.

The development of biomaterials with intrinsic antioxidant properties could represent a valuable strategy for preventing peri-implant disease onset. In this context quercetin, a naturally occurring flavonoid, has been entrapped, at different weight percentages in a silica/poly(ε-caprolactone)-based hybrid material by a sol-gel route. FT-IR and UV spectroscopic techniques were employed in order to characterize the hybrids.