Effect of molecular weight of poly( -caprolactone) on interpenetrating network structure, apatite-forming ability, and degradability of poly( -caprolactone)/silica nano-hybrid materials

The effect of molecular weight of poly( -caprolactone) (PCL) on the bioactivity of a PCL/silica nano-hybrid containing calcium salt was investigated. Two hybrids were prepared with low and high molecular weight PCLs, respectively, through a sol–gel method. Their bioactivities were evaluated using a simulated body fluid (SBF), which had almost the same ion concentrations with human blood plasma. Fast and uniform nucleation and growth of the apatite crystals were observed to occur all through the hybrid surface when low molecular weight PCL was used, while slow and random nucleation and growth of the apatite crystals were observed to occur when high molecular weight PCL was used, after soaking for 3 days in the SBF. This phenomenon was explained in terms of the distribution and dispersion of silica phase in the hybrid and the ionic activity product of the apatite in the SBF, which were dependent on the free volume and degradation rate of non-bioactive PCL phase, respectively.