Sol-Gel Synthesis, Spectroscopic and Thermal Behavior Study of SiO₂/PEG Composites Containing Different Amount of Chlorogenic Acid

In this work, new phenol-based materials have been synthesized by the sol-gel method, in which different amounts of the phenolic antioxidant chlorogenic acid (CGA) (from 5 wt % to 20 wt %) were embedded in two different silica matrices: pure silica and silica-based hybrids materials, containing 50 wt % of polyethylene glycol (PEG). The incorporation of CGA in different sol-gel matrices might protect them from degradation, which could cause the loss of their properties. The two series of materials were chemically characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. In addition, the thermal behavior of both series of materials containing CGA was studied by thermogravimetry under both air and inert N₂ flowing gas atmosphere. The bioactivity was evaluated by soaking the synthesized hybrids in a simulated body fluid, showing that the bioactivity of the silica matrix is not modified by the presence of PEG and CGA.