Towards the production of natural rubber-calcium phosphate hybrid for applications as bioactive coatings.

This paper assesses the morphological, structural and bio-physicochemical stability of natural rubber (NR) Hevea brasiliensis coatings incorporated with microparticles of calcium phosphate-based (CaP) bioactive ceramics. Optical and electronic spectroscopic imaging techniques were employed to successfully evaluate the NR encapsulation capability and the stability of the coating in a biologically relevant media for bio-related application, i.e., simulated body fluid (SBF). The chemical structure of the natural polymer, the microchemical environment at the NR-CaP interface and the morphology of the CaP clusters were fully characterized. Further, the response of the hybrid coating to SBF was evaluated by incubating the samples for 30 days. The hybrid coating formed on Si surface (inert substrate) exhibited both stability and biodegradability in different levels (time dependence), thus opening horizons for applications as coatings for both biomaterials and drug delivery systems.