Functionalized copolymers and their composites with polylactide and hydroxyapatite.

Synthetic copolymers poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-vinylphosphonic acid) (P(MDOVPA) and poly(epsilon-caprolactone-co-dimethylvinylphosphoester) (P(MDOVPE)) were used to prepare composites with polylactide (PLac) and hydroxyapatite (HAp). The P(MDOVPA) is used as filler in PLac films, as it has pendant functional groups P(O)(OH)2, providing nucleation sites for the deposition of HAp in simulated body fluid. HAp growth on P(MDOVPA) powder and PLac-P(MDOVPA) film was observed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). P(MDOVPE) and PLac blend are miscible, and the incorporation of hydrophilic P(MDOVPA) into PLac increased the hydrophilicity of the blend. Synthetic HAp was used to make multilayered, alternating organic-inorganic composites with porous PLac-P(MDOVPE) blends. Copyright 1999 Kluwer Academic Publishers