TiO2-polymer composites for biomedical applications.

Composite hydrogels of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and poly-(methyl metacrylate) (PMMA) reinforced with a bioceramic, TiO2, have been prepared by reactive moulding from a mixture of the bioceramic with PMMA beads and acrylic acid. Cylindrical specimens with various TiO2-polymer compositions, but a constant 3:1 PAA/PMMA ratio were obtained, and their corresponding swelling behavior was followed at pH = 7.0 and pH = 8.0 in buffered solution at 37 degrees C. The composition and structure of the composites prepared was studied by thermogravimetry, 1H-NMR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The composites prepared present a considerable consistency, even in hydrated media, since their swelling behavior is rather sensitive to the pH of the media. Specific polar interactions of the carboxylic groups of the hydrophilic polymer component PAA with the surface of TiO2 particles, modulate the behavior of the composites against the hydration processes at different pH.