Organic–inorganic hybrid membranes prepared from the sol–gel process of poly(butyleneadipate‐ co ‐terephthalate) and TiO 2

Organic–inorganic hybrids based on poly(butyleneadipate‐ co ‐terephthalate)/titanium dioxide (PBAT/TiO 2 ) hybrid membranes were prepared via a sol–gel process. The PBAT/TiO 2 hybrid membranes were prepared for various PBAT/TiO 2 ratios. The resulting hybrids were characterized with a morphological structure, hydrophilicity, biodegradability, and thermal properties. The results showed that macrovoids underwent a transition into a sponge‐like membrane structure with the addition of TiO 2 . After sol–gel transition, a strong interaction between the inorganic network and polymeric chains led to an increase in glass transition temperature ( T g ), thermal degrading temperature, and hydrophilicity, and hence a higher biodegradability. According to X‐ray diffraction measurements of the crystal structure of the hybrid, the presence of TiO 2 did not change the crystal structure of PBAT. TiO 2 networks are uniformly dispersed into the PBAT matrix and no aggregation of TiO 2 networks in the hybrid membranes was observed through the small angle X‐ray scattering measurements. Thus, the sol–gel process of PBAT and TiO 2 can be used to prepare a hybrid with higher application temperature and faster biodegradation rate. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.