Polycaprolactone composites with TiO2 for potential nanobiomaterials: tunable properties using different phases.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Nanocomposite fibers offer tunable properties for various applications.
• Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles, in different phases, can alter the characteristics of polymer matrices.
• Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a biodegradable polymer with potential in biomedical fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize PCL/TiO2 nanocomposite fibers using electrospinning.
• To investigate the influence of different TiO2 nanoparticle phases (anatase vs. rutile) on fiber properties.
• To evaluate the biocompatibility and mechanical performance of the resulting nanocomposite fibers.

Main Methods:

• Sol-gel synthesis of pure anatase and rutile TiO2 nanoparticles.
• Electrospinning of PCL/TiO2 composite fibers.
• Characterization using X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, BET, and contact angle measurements.
• Biocompatibility assessment via fibroblast cell proliferation (MTT assay) in simulated body fluid (SBF) and biodegradation in phosphate buffer (PBS).

Main Results:

• The anatase phase of TiO2, with smaller particle size, led to significant improvements in fiber properties compared to the rutile phase.
• Enhanced interaction between PCL polymer chains and anatase TiO2 nanoparticles resulted in superior mechanical properties and biocompatibility.
• PCL-Anatase nanocomposite fibers demonstrated good fibroblast cell proliferation and adhesion, indicating excellent biocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• The phase of TiO2 nanoparticles critically influences the properties of PCL nanocomposite fibers.
• Anatase TiO2 nanoparticles are more effective than rutile in enhancing the mechanical and biocompatibility profiles of PCL fibers.
• PCL/Anatase nanocomposite fibers show promising potential for biomedical applications due to their improved performance and biocompatibility.