Biodegradable polyester hybrid nanocomposites containing titanium dioxide network and poly(ε-caprolactone): Synthesis and characterization

In this paper, biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone)/titanium dioxide hybrid film materials were prepared via in situ sol-gel process with tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) as inorganic precursor in the presence of poly(ε-caprolactone) and were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The hybrids displayed microphase-separated structure on the nanometer scale. The studies of crystallization and melting behaviors of the hybrid films indicate that TiO2 inorganic components have a considerable influence on behavior of crystallization of poly(ε-caprolactone) in hybrid materials.