Synthesis by Sol‐Gel Route, Chemical, and Biological Characterization of Hybrid Material Composed by Fe(II)C and poly(ε‐caprolactone)

Sol-gel route represents a valuable technique to obtain functional materials, in which organic and inorganic components are closely connected. Imbalance of the iron level in the body causes several diseases. In particular, the low level of iron, during pregnancy, is responsible of the iron deficiency anemia, and even of neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of this work is the synthesis of iron (II) therapeutic systems by sol-gel method. Different weight percentages of poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL 7wt%) and ferrous citrate (Fe(II)C 6wt%) for drug delivery applications are embedded in a SiO2 matrix. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is used to study the interactions among different components in the hybrid materials. SiO2/Fe(II)C/PCL materials have been proposed as valuable antibacterial agents against Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis.