Silicate hybrid materials were prepared by the sol-gel process with theaddition of x wt% of zirconium propoxide (x = 0 and 1). The thermal behavior aswell as the influence of Zr addition was studied by thermal gravimetricanalysis and differential thermal analysis. The microstructure evolution withtemperature was investigated by X-ray diffraction and small angle neutronscattering. It was found that the beginning of polymer degradation occurs at ahigher temperature in the material prepared with addition of Zr than in the oneprepared without. At the nanometric scale, the materials prepared without Zrshow smooth interfaces, whereas those with Zr present a mass fractal structure.This structure is also observed in the material without Zr after thermaltreatment at 200 C. The results showed that bioactivity is favored by massfractal structures in comparison with one consisting of smooth surfaces.
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