@article {15121, title = {Functional nanostructured chitosan{\textendash}siloxane hybrids}, journal = {JOurnal of materials chemistry}, volume = {15}, year = {2007}, month = {2007-11-17 00:00:00}, pages = {3952-3961}, publisher = {Royal Society of Chemistry}, abstract = {

New organic{\textendash}inorganic hybrids were prepared by a sol{\textendash}gel method from the biopolymer chitosan
and a silane coupling agent, 3-isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (ICPTES), in which covalent
bridges, essentially composed of urea, bond the chitosan to the poly(siloxane) network. The
structural characterization of the advanced chitosan{\textendash}siloxane hybrids was performed by Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and 29Si and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance.
The presence of siloxane nanodomains was detected by small angle X-ray diffraction. The chitosan{\textendash}siloxane hybrids are bifunctional materials with interesting photoluminescent features and bioactive behaviour. The photoluminescence spectra display an additional high-energy band with longer lifetime, relatively to the characteristic emission of pure chitosan. This band is associated with electron{\textendash}hole recombinations arising from silicon-related defects at the surface of the siliceous nanodomains. The bioactive behaviour of these materials was also evaluated; the apatite formation was shown to depend on the amount and arrangement of silanol group.

}, keywords = {Chitosan, hybrids, polyurethane}, doi = {10.1039/B505875A }, url = {http://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2005/JM/B505875A$\#$!divAbstract}, author = {Silva, S. S. and Ferreira, R. A. and Fu, L. and Carlos, L. D. and Mano, J. F. and Reis, R. L. and Rocha, J.} }