Molecular Crystals and Liquid Crystals, Vol.483, 258-265, 2008
Titania modified layered silicate for polymer/inorganic nanocomposites
Sodium montmorillonite, from purified Romanian bentonite, and quasiamorphous TiO2 aerogel were used for obtaining binary hybrids by solution intercalation method. In the nanohybrid, TiO2 results in crystalline-anatase form. The morphostructural properties of the TiO2 modified layered silicate were studied by X-Ray Diffraction, FTIR Spectroscopy, High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy and Thermogravimetric Analysis. By uniform dispersing of binary nanohybrid in a collagen matrix, nanocomposite with intercalated lamellar structure was obtained. The basal spacing (d(001)) increases from 14.8 angstrom in the binary hybrid to 18 angstrom in the nanocomposite with collagen. Applications in regenerative medicine of hard tissue are foreseen.