Biocompatible (Nano)Composites Based on Poly(ε‐Caprolactone)/Siloxene

The work focuses on the synthesis of the siloxene nanofiller and its subsequent use in the preparation of poly(ε‐caprolactone)/siloxene (nano)composites via in situ polymerization and melt blending. The siloxene nanofiller was synthesized by deintercalation of calcium silicide. Conditions for the polymerization of ε‐caprolactone containing dispersed siloxene were optimized—tin(II) 2‐ethylhexanoate was found to be the most suitable one. Subsequently, (nano)composites were prepared. Thermal properties, mechanical properties, and the dispersion of the filler within the polymer matrix were studied. Increasing the filler content led to an increase in the glass transition temperature by up to 6, even though the molar mass decreased exponentially as the siloxene acted as a transfer agent during polymerization. Finally, biocompatibility and cytotoxicity tests were conducted, which represent an essential part of evaluating potential biomaterials. The tests confirmed the bio‐inertness of the samples and ruled out their cytotoxicity.