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PCL/PEO copolymers with different compositions were obtained from ring opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone in the presence of ethylene oxide and characterized by various analytical techniques. Data collected from DSC and X-ray diffractometry suggested that the copolymer chains possess a blocky structure, leading to both PCL and PEO-type crystalline structures. Hydrolytic degradation of these copolymers was carried out in a pH=10.6 carbonate buffer solution at 37 degrees C. Comparison was made with a PCL homopolymer and a PCL/PEG blend which had the same gross composition as one of the copolymers. The results showed that the presence of PEO sequences considerably enhanced the hydrophilicity of the copolymers as compared with PCL homopolymer. Nevertheless, the degradability of PCL chains was not enhanced due to the phase separation between the two components. These materials should be of great interest for biomedical uses such as matrices for sustained drug delivery because of the presence of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic microdomains.

A simple and versatile approach has been developed to synthesize multi-walled carbon nanotubes/metal-doped ZnO nanohybrid materials (MWNT/M-doped ZnO) by means of the co-deposition method. The experimental results illuminate that MWNTs can be modified by metal-doped ZnO nanoparticles at 450 °C, such as Mn, Mg, and Co elements. Furthermore, the MWNT/Mg-doped ZnO hybrids have been proven to have a high photocatalytic ability for methyl orange (MO), in which the degraded rate for MO reaches 100 % in 60 min. The enhancement in photocatalytic activity is attributed to the excellent electriconal property of MWNTs and Mg-doping. The resultant MWNT/Mg-doped ZnO nanohybrids have potential applications in photocatalysis and environmental protection.

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