A new poly (ε-caprolactone) containing hybrid ceramer prepared by the sol-gel process

A new inorganic-organic hybrid material, known as ceramer, has been prepared by the sol-gel process. α,ω-Hydroxyl poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) has been used as an organic reagent, as such or after conversion of the hydroxyl end-groups into triethoxysilane end-groups. The novelty has to be found in the biocompatibility and biodegradability of the organic constitutive component. Since the hydroxyl end-groups of PCL are less reactive than the triethoxysilane counterparts, the preliminary reaction of the hydroxyl end-groups with 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane is recommended for decreasing the gelation time and the amount of PCL extractable from the final hybrid material. In this respect, it has been observed that the amount of PCL incorporated into the network is limited by the early vitrification of the reactive system. This drawback can be alleviated by curing the sample at a high enough temperature (100°C). TEM observations have shown that the organic and inorganic phases are intimately mixed when the weight composition in SiO2 and PCL is close to 50%.