Bioactive hybrid coatings of poly(ε-caprolactone)–silica xerogel on titanium for biomedical applications

• A novel PCL–silica xerogel hybrid coating was prepared on the Ti substrates.
• The simple and useful sol–gel spin-coating technique was used.
• A smooth and hydrophilic surface was obtained when 30% SiO2 was contained.
• Hybrid coatings were more efficient at inducing apatite formation than pure PCL ones.
• The PCL–silica xerogel coatings may find potential applications in bone tissue regeneration.

Poly(ε-caprolactone)–silica xerogel (PCL–SiO2) hybrid coatings were successfully prepared on the surface of titanium (Ti) plates via a sol–gel spin-coating technique. The influences of the SiO2 content on the phase composition, surface morphology, wettability and in vitro bioactivity of the coatings were investigated. The results showed that silica xerogel was homogeneously hybridized with PCL when the SiO2 content was less than 30%, forming hybrid coatings with a quite smooth and dense surface. Moreover, the PCL-30% SiO2 hybrid coatings exhibited a significant improvement in hydrophilicity and apatite-forming ability as compared to the pure PCL coatings, thus potentially serving as a good candidate to improve the biological performance of the Ti implants.