Polyurethanes containing sulfur. II. New thermoplastic nonsegmented polyurethanes with diphenylmethane unit in their structure

New thermoplastic nonsegmented thiopolyurethanes were synthesized from the new low‐melting aliphatic‐aromatic thiodiols bis[4‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)thiomethylphenyl]methane, bis[4‐(3‐hydroxypropyl)thiomethylphenyl]methane, and bis[4‐(6‐hydroxyhexyl)thiomethylphenyl]methane and hexamethylene diisocyanate both by melt and solution polyaddition with dibutyltin dilaurate as a catalyst. All the thiodiols were prepared with high yields by the condensation reaction of bis(4‐mercaptomethylphenyl)methane with 2‐chloroethanol, 3‐chloro‐1‐propanol, or 6‐chloro‐1‐hexanol. The hard‐segment‐type polyurethanes obtained were plastic materials with partially crystalline structures. Polymerization in solution produced products with higher molecular weights (η_red = 0.97–1.24 dL/g) than polymerization in melt (η_red = 0.44–1.05 dL/g). The structures of all the polyurethanes were determined with elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared, and X‐ray diffraction analysis. Thermal properties of the polymers obtained in solution were examined by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Shore A/D hardness and tensile properties for all the polyurethanes were also determined. Of the two kinds, the polyurethanes obtained in solution possessed better tensile properties and showed yield stress (tensile strength) in a range of 27.8–30.0 MPa at an elongation of 17.4–25.1%. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 1767–1773, 2000     

The influence of hard‐segments on two‐phase structure and shape memory properties of PCL‐based segmented polyurethanes

Poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐based segmented polyurethanes (PCLUs) were prepared from poly(ε‐caprolactone) diol, diisocyanates (DI), and 1,4‐butanediol. The DIs used were 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI), 2,4‐toluenediisocyanate (TDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI). Differential scanning calorimetry, small‐angle X‐ray scattering, and dynamic mechanical analysis were employed to characterize the two‐phase structures of all PCLUs. It was found that HDI‐ and MDI‐based PCLUs had higher degree of microphase separation than did IPDI‐ and TDI‐based PCLUs, which was primarily due to the crystallization of HDI‐ and MDI‐based hard‐segments. As a result, the HDI‐based PCLU exhibited the highest recovery force up to 6 MPa and slowest stress relaxation with increasing temperature. Besides, it was found that the partial damage in hard‐segment domains during the sample deformation was responsible for the incomplete shape‐recovery of PCLUs after the first deformation, but the damage did not develop during the subsequent deformation. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 557–570, 2007     

Synthesis,characterization, and molecular modeling studies of novel polyurethanes based on 2,2′‐[ethane‐1,2‐diylbis(nitrilomethylylidene)]diphenol and 2,2′‐[hexane‐1,6‐diylbis(nitrilomethylylidene)] diphenol hard segments

Novel polyurethanes (PUs) based on 2,2′‐[ethane‐1,2‐diylbis(nitrilomethylylidene)]diphenol and 2,2′‐[hexane‐1,6‐diylbis(nitrilomethylylidene)]diphenol as hard segments containing four aromatic diisocyanates (4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate, toluene 2,4‐diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate, and hexamethylene diisocyanate) have been prepared. Fourier transform infrared, UV spectrophotometry, fluorescence spectroscopy, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential thermal analysis have been used to determine the structural characterization and thermal properties of the segmented PUs. All the PUs contain domains of both semicrystalline and amorphous structures, as indicated by X‐ray diffraction. The acoustic properties have been calculated with the group contribution method. Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed on all the PUs to estimate the cohesive energy density and solubility parameter values, which compare well with the values calculated with the group contribution method. Furthermore, the simulation protocols have been applied to the PUs to produce X‐ray diffraction plots to determine the phase morphology of the PUs. The surface properties of the PUs have been estimated from the simulation protocols. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6032–6046, 2006     

Amine-quinone polyurethanes. I. Preparation of polyurethane block copolymers containing 2,5–bis(N-2-hydroxyethyl-N-methylamino)-1,4–benzoquinone diol monomer

The amine-quinone monomer, 2,5–bis(N-2-hydroxyethyl-N-methylamino)-1,4-benzoqui-none (AQM-1), was prepared by the multiple-step condensation of 2-(N-methylam-ino)ethanol with benzoquinone in the presence of oxygen. This crystalline monomer was used to prepare a series of amine-quinone polyurethanes by condensation polymerization, either in the melt or in solution (THF or DMF), with a diisocyanate (MDI, TDI, or IPDI) and an oligomeric diol [poly(caprolactone) or poly(1,2-butylene glycol)]. The amine-quinone functional group was stable under the polymerization conditions, and was incorporated into the main chain, giving red-brown polyurethanes that had molecular weights in the range of 11,000–90,000 and were soluble in THF, MEK, DMF, and DMSO. The thermal properties were consistent with a two-phase morphology with an amorphous soft segment, containing the oligomeric diol, and a microcrystalline hard segment, containing AQM-1. The polymers having a low hard segment content (<50%) were rubbery (soft segment T_g <?25°C); polymers having a high hard segment content (>50%) were thermoplastic (hard segment T_g>150°C). © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Calorimetric and Dielectric Study of the Segmented Biodegradable Poly(ester‐urethane)s Based on Bacterial Poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate]

Two series of segmented poly(ester‐urethane)s were synthesized from bacterial poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate]‐diol (PHB‐diol), as hard segments, and either poly(ε‐caprolactone)‐diol (PCL‐diol) or poly(butylene adipate)‐diol (PBA‐diol), as soft segments, using 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate as a chain extender. The hard‐segment content varied from 0 to 50 wt.‐%. These materials were characterized using ¹H NMR spectroscopy and GPC. The polymers obtained were investigated calorimetrically and dielectrically. DSC showed that the T_g of either the PCL or PBA soft segments are shifted to higher temperatures with increasing PHB hard‐segment content, revealing that either the PCL or PBA are mixed with small amounts of PHB in the amorphous domains. The results also showed that the crystallization of soft or hard segments was physically constrained by the microstructure of the other crystalline phase, which results in a decrease in the degree of crystallinity of either the soft or hard segments upon increase of the other component. The dielectric spectra of poly(ester‐urethane)s, based on PCL and PHB, showed two primary relaxation processes, designated as α_S and α_H, which correspond to glass–rubber transitions of PCL soft and PHB hard segments, respectively. Whereas in the case of other poly(ester‐urethane)s, derived from PBA and PHB, only one relaxation process was observed, which broadens and shifts to higher temperature with increasing PHB hard‐segment content. It was concluded from these results that our investigated materials exhibit micro‐phase separation of the hard and soft segments in the amorphous domains.     

Water vapor permeability of shape memory polyurethane with amorphous reversible phase

Shape memory thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs), based on amorphous soft segment from the reaction of hexamethylene diisocyanate and 1,2‐butane diol, and the crystalline hard segment from 4,4′‐methylenediphenyl diisocyanate and 1,6‐hexanediol, were modified by hydrophilic segments, diol‐terminated poly(ethylene oxide) or dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA). Differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical testing, tensile testing, and the measurement of shape memory effect, water swell, and water vapor permeability were carried out to examine these TPUs. The hydrophilic segment increased the hysterisis in shape memory effect by reducing the crystallinity of the hard segment. The neutralized DMPA unit enhanced the sensitivity of the thermoresponsive water vapor permeability (WVP) by amplifying the increase of WVP at the temperature range above the glass transition temperature. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 3009–3017, 2000     

Investigations on anticorrosive,thermal, and mechanical properties of conducting polyurethanes with tetraaniline pendent groups

This article describes the synthesis of conducting hybrid polyurethanes from novel tetraaniline‐diol as Gly‐TAni (glycidol with TAni). A new diol Gly‐TAni has been synthesized in a simple process using tetraaniline (TAni) and glycidol via SN2 reaction in a single‐step process. The asymmetric diol (Gly‐TAni) and polyols (PTMEG and TMP) were reacted with isophorone diisocyanate at OH:NCO ratio of 1:1.2 to obtain ―NCO terminated hybrid conducting polyurethanes. These were subjected for curing under atmospheric moisture to obtain conducting polyurethane‐urea coatings. The conducting coatings showed considerable enhancement in thermal and mechanical stabilities. All these conducting coatings films showed excellent corrosion resistance (on mild steel electrode) with an increase in the percentage of Gly‐TANi (5 to 15 wt%). The films of these hybrid polyurethanes containing pendent tetraanilines showed good surface conductivity in the range of 3.69 × 10⁻⁴ to 2.21 × 10⁻³ S/cm. The electrochemical investigation showed 2 single electron oxidation and 2 single reductions reversibly, centred around tetraaniline segments present in the polymer.     

Studies on thermoplastic polyurethanes based on new diphenylethane-derivative diols. II. Synthesis and characterization of segmented polyurethanes from HDI and MDI

Various new thermoplastic segmented polyurethanes were synthesized by a one-step melt polymerization from aliphatic-aromatic α,ω-diols containing sulfur in the aliphatic chain, including 4,4′-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(benzenethioethanol), 4,4′-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(benzenethiopropanol) and 4,4′-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis(benzenethiodecanol) as chain extenders, hexane-1,6-diyl diisocyanate (HDI) or 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and 20-80 mol% poly(oxytetramethylene)diol (PTMO) with molecular weight of 1000 g/mol as a soft segment. The reaction was conducted at the molar ratio of NCO/OH = 1 and 1.05, and in the case of the HDI-based polyurethanes in the presence of dibutyltin dilaurate as a catalyst. The effect of the diisocyanate used on the structure and some physicochemical, thermal and mechanical properties of the segmented polyurethanes were studied. The structures of these polyurethanes were examined by FTIR and X-ray diffraction analysis. The thermal properties were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. Shore hardness and tensile properties were also determined. All the synthesized polymers showed partially crystalline structures. The MDI-based polyurethanes were products with lower crystallinity, higher glass-transition temperature (T_g) and better thermal stability in comparison with the HDI-based ones. The MDI series polymers also exhibited higher tensile strength (up to ∼36 MPa vs. ∼23 MPa) and elongation at break (up to ∼3900% vs. ∼900%), but lower hardness than the analogous HDI series polyurethanes. In both series of the polymers an increase in PTMO soft-segment content was associated with decreased crystallinity, T_g, hardness and tensile strength. An increase in PTMO content also involved an increase in elongation at break.     

Clickable polyurethanes based on s‐triazine ring containing aromatic diisocyanate bearing pendent alkyne group: Synthesis and postmodification

A new s‐triazine ring containing aromatic diisocyanate bearing a pendent alkyne group, namely, 2,4‐bis(4‐isocyanatophenoxy)?6‐(prop‐2‐yn‐1‐yloxy)?1,3,5‐triazine was synthesized and reacted with various diols viz., 1,10‐decanediol, tetraethylene glycol and polyethylene glycols in the presence of dibutyltin dilaurate as the catalyst to obtain a series of linear polyurethanes. The selected polyurethanes possessing pendent alkyne groups were postmodified with chemically diverse azides viz., 1‐(azidomethyl)benzene, 1‐(azidomethyl)pyrene, and methoxy end‐caped poly(ethylene glycol) azide via copper‐catalysed azide‐alkyne Huisgen 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition. FTIR and ¹H NMR spectra indicated quantitative click reaction. UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopic analysis confirmed complete incorporation of pyrenyl groups indicating the formation of fluorescence active polyurethane by postmodification with 1‐(azidomethyl)pyrene. TG analysis of polyurethanes indicated two stage weight loss and their thermal stability, as judged by T ₁₀ values, was governed by weight percent of urethane linkages. The water contact angle measurements revealed improved wettability with increased content of PEG either in the backbone of polyurethanes or as grafted chains. DLS and TEM studies confirmed that certain polyurethanes possessing PEG segments displayed self‐assembly in aqueous solution, which was further supported by pyrene encapsulation studies using UV–vis spectroscopy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55 , 1008–1020     

水性聚氨酯硬段含量对其氢键相互作用及性能的影响

异佛尔酮二异氰酸酯（IPDI）、二羟甲基丙酸(DMPA)作为硬段,合成了水性聚氨酯。 研究了硬段含量（质量分数）对乳液稳定性、膜耐热和力学性能等的影响。 当硬段质量分数低于26%时,乳液贮存稳定性较差。 随着硬段含量增加,聚氨酯膜拉伸强度迅速增加,断裂伸长率略有降低;红外光谱显示,自由的N-H伸缩振动峰强度减弱,氢键化N-H的振动峰强度增加;同时C=O伸缩振动峰整体向低波数方向移动,C=O伸缩振动峰峰形有明显的变化;DSC测试在50～125 ℃出现明显的氢键解离现象,吸热峰增强,证实了氢键作用力随着硬段含量的增加逐渐增强。 TG测试表明,水性聚氨酯硬段和软段分步解离,随着硬段含量的增加,硬段分解温度降低,水性聚氨酯耐热性能下降。     

Fluoropolyethers end‐capped by polar functional groups. I. Kinetic approach to the reaction of hydroxy‐terminated fluoropolyethers with cycloalyphatic and aromatic diisocyanates

Urethane reactions of cycloaliphatic and aromatic diisocyanates with hydroxy‐terminated fluoropolyethers (FPEs) of various molecular weights and structure, at NCO : OH = 2, have been studied by monitoring, by IR analysis, the rate of decrease in NCO absorbance at 2264–2268 cm⁻¹. Different diisocyanates have been tested, among them the following: 4,4′‐dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (H₁₂MDI); 5‐isocyanato‐1,3,3‐trimethylcyclohexylmethyl isocyanate or isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI); 2,4‐toluene diisocyanate (TDI). Ethyl acetate (EA), methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and hexafluoroxylene (HFX) have been used as solvents in presence of dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) or 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) as catalysts. These reactions gave rise to NCO‐end‐capped FPE–oligourethanes. Preliminary solubility tests for HO‐terminated FPEs in various solvents made it possible to select proper candidates for carrying out reaction in homogeneous conditions at high concentrations of reagents (30–50% w/w). The second‐order kinetic mechanism was shown to be valid. Positive deviations from linearity for the second‐order kinetics around 40–80% conversion, found for most of the FPE diols, were attributed to the autocatalysis of the isocyanate–hydroxyl reaction by the arising urethane groups. Uncatalyzed reactions with cycloaliphatic diisocyanates are very slow at 40°C. The tertiary amine DABCO is a much less effective catalyst than DBTDL. FPEs having terminal OH groups separated from the perfluorinated main molecular chain by  (OCH₂CH₂)_n segments (n = 1–2) are generally more reactive than FPEs with end  CH₂OH groups. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 557–570, 1999     

Original diols from sunflower and ricin oils: Synthesis,characterization, and use as polyurethane building blocks

A series of novel fatty acid‐based diols were designed and synthesized from sunflower and ricin oils using optimized chemical reactions and purifications. These diols were categorized in two different types: (i) fatty acid‐based monoester containing diols (FAmE‐1 to FAmE‐6) and (ii) fatty acid‐based diester containing diols (FAdE‐1 to FAdE‐8). Their synthesis involved a series of reactions such as transesterification, epoxidation, ring opening of epoxide, and thiol‐ene additions. Analyses of these new fatty acid‐based diols were performed by HPLC/GC and NMR spectroscopy. The latter were then demonstrated as polyurethane (PU) precursors in the bulk polymerization with isophorone diisocyanate in the presence of dibutyl tin dilaurate as a catalyst. The effects of the diol nature and purity on the PU synthesis and properties were investigated. The structural characterization of the different PUs was carried out by means of FTIR, ¹H NMR, and ¹H DOSY NMR spectroscopy. The thermomechanical and rheological properties of these new PUs were found dependent on the chemical structure and purity of the diol building block. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Fluoropolyethers end‐capped by polar functional groups. IV. A novel approach to the evaluation of reactivities of hydroxy‐terminated ethoxylated fluoropolyethers in the tin(IV)‐catalyzed reactions with isophorone diisocyanate

The effect of catalyst dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) on the kinetics of urethane formation reactions of α,ω‐bis(hydroxy)‐terminated fluoropolyethers Fomblin® Z‐DOL TXs (FPEs) of various molecular weights and poly(oxyethylene) glycol PEG‐400 with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) in hexafluoroxylene (HFX) and tetrahydrofuran (THF) at 40 °C and NCO:OH = 2:1 have been studied in a broad range of catalyst (0.10–9.00) ×10^?4 M and total reagents (10.0–60.1 wt %) concentrations. The rate of tin‐catalyzed second‐order reactions (with respect to diol and diisocyanate) was found to be proportional to the square root of catalyst concentration [DBTDL]^0.5 both in low polar (HFX) and polar (THF) solvents. Effect of catalyst saturation was revealed for all the reaction systems at higher DBTDL concentrations as well as the appearance of the limiting catalyst concentrations C_lim below which the rates of reaction were close to zero. Based on these findings new effective rate coefficients have been derived k = k_cat/(C ? C) that are independent of the total reagent concentration in the range of 10.0–60.1 wt % ([OH] = 0.10–0.91 equiv/L). This new approach highlights that the rate of the tin‐catalyzed urethane formation reactions of α,ω‐bis(hydroxy)‐terminated fluoropolyethers Z‐DOL TXs with IPDI in HFX at 40 °C and NCO:OH = 2:1 increases significantly with increasing MW of FPE from 776 up to 3405. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 5354–5371, 2004     

Synthesis of high‐performance polyurethanes with rigid 5‐6‐5‐fused ring system in the main chain from naturally occurring myo‐inositol

A bisketal of myo‐inositol was used as a diol‐type monomer for synthesis of polyurethanes. The monomer was obtained by treatment of myo‐inositol with 1,1‐dimethoxycyclohexane in the presence of p‐toluenesulfonic acid as a catalyst. The ketalization resulted in the formation of a 5‐6‐5‐fused ring system, which endowed the diol‐type monomer with high rigidity. The diol readily reacted with diisocyanate to give the corresponding polyurethane, which exhibited excellent heat resistance due to the rigid 5‐6‐5 system in the main chain. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 3956–3963     

Kinetics of urethane formation from isophorone diisocyanate: The catalyst and solvent effects

The dependence of the kinetic parameters of urethane formation in the reaction between isophorone diisocyanate and alcohols of different structure (n-propanol, isopropanol, propargyl alcohol, 1,3-diazidopropan-2-ol, and phenol) in diluted solutions on the natures of solvent (toluene, carbon tetrachloride) and catalyst (dibutyltin dilaurate, diazobicyclooctane) was found using an original IR spectroscopic procedure. The ratio of the apparent rate constants for the reactions involving the aliphatic and cycloaliphatic NCO groups of isophorone diisocyanate was determined, and the efficiency of catalysis in these reactions was estimated. The reaction conditions under which the difference between the reactivities of isocyanate groups can reach 40 were determined.     

Segmented polyurethanes with 4,4′-bis-(6-hydroxyhexoxy)biphenyl as chain extender. Part 2. Synthesis and properties of MDI-polyurethanes in comparison with 2,4-TDI-polyurethanes

Linear segmented polyurethanes based on poly(butylene adipate)s (PBA) of different molecular weight (M_n 2000, 1000, and 600), 4,4′-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and the mesogenic diol 4,4′-bis-(6-hydroxyhexoxy)biphenyl (BHHBP) as well as the unsegmented polyurethane consisting of MDI/BHHBP units have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, ¹³C-NMR and SEC. The thermal behavior and the morphology were studied by DSC, polarizing microscopy, and DMA. The properties of the MDI-polyurethanes were discussed in relation to the BHHBP chain extended 2,4-TDI-polyurethanes and common 1,4-butanediol chain-extended MDI products. MDI polyurethanes based on PBA (M_n 2000) exhibit a glass transition temperature T_g of about −40°C independent of the hard segment content up to ∼50% hard segments. At higher hard segment contents increasing T_gs were observed. Polyurethanes, based on the shorter polyester soft segments PBA (M_n 1000 or 600), reveal an increase in the glass transition temperatures with growing hard segment content. The thermal transitions caused by melting of the MDI/BHHBP hard segment domains are found at 50 K higher temperatures in comparison with the analogous TDI products with mesogenic BHHBP/TDI hard segments. Shortening of the PBA chain length causes a shift of the thermal transitions to lower temperatures. Polarizing microscopy experiments indicate that liquid crystalline behavior is influenced by both the content of mesogenic hard segments and the chain length of the polyester. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Pi‐conjugated chain extenders for the synthesis of optoelectronic segmented polyurethanes

The optical properties of mechanochromic materials change under mechanical stress. Segmented polyurethanes are elastomers composed of amorphous, saturated chain soft segments, and rigid pi‐conjugated hard domains. Within aggregates of hard domains pi–pi interactions may form and result in perturbation of the optoelectronic properties of the system. Disruption and restoration of these electronic interactions within the material may lead to observable mechanochromic response. A series of oligothiophene diols and diamines, as well as a naphthalene diimide diol, have been synthesized for incorporation into the hard domains of segmented polyurethanes and polyureas using long poly(tetramethylene oxide) chains as soft segments. The resulting polymers were evaluated to determine their extent of polymerization and their thermal stability. The optical properties of the materials were studied in solution and as thin films. Where possible the electrochemical properties of the polymers were also explored. The length of the soft segment chains in the segmented polyurethanes hindered electronic coupling of hard domains. Future work involving smaller, more solubilizing soft segments may allow for easier material characterization and mechanochromic response. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011.     

Synthesis and physical properties of poly(urethane)s using vicinal diols derived from acrylate and styrene monomers

We describe the utilization of four kinds of diol derivatives, representing structural similarity to the well‐known and commercially available vinyl monomers such as acrylate, acrylamide, styrene, and N‐substituted maleimide. The vinyl monomers are readily converted by dihydroxylation reaction to afford the vicinal diol. The synthesis of poly(urethane)s was performed by the reaction of the vicinal diol with two model diisocyanates, including methylene diphenyl isocyanate (MDI) and hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) in the presence of dibutyltin dilaurate to form a series of poly(urethane)s, and the effect of vicinal diol containing a side chain inherited from vinyl monomers on their thermal and mechanical properties was investigated using thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and tensile test. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 799–805     

Fluoropolyethers end‐capped by polar functional groups. II. Effect of catalyst and reagents concentration,solvent nature,and temperature on reaction kinetics of α,ω‐bis(hydroxy)‐terminated fluoropolyethers with cycloalyphatic and aromatic diisocyanates

A comparative kinetic study of the dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) and 1,4‐diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane (DABCO) catalyzed reactions of α,ω‐bis(hydroxy)‐terminated fluoropolyethers (FPEs)—Z‐DOLs and Z‐DOL TXs—of various molecular weights and purity, with 4,4′‐dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate (H₁₂MDI), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) and 2,4‐toluene diisocyanate (TDI) was carried out in different solvents. An analytical method was used to follow the kinetics of the reactions at four different temperatures. The rate of NCO disappearance measured by two independent methods—IR spectroscopy and chemical titration were found to be very close. Straight proportionality between rate constants k_cat and catalyst concentration was found. But in some cases for the DBTDL catalyzed reactions effect of catalyst saturation along with appearance of the limiting DBTDL concentration C_lim below which the rate of reaction was close to zero were observed. Reactivity of Z‐DOLs in the tin‐catalyzed urethane reactions was found to decrease with their storage time at RT due to the slow hydrolysis of the end  COOR groups impurities, which give the corresponding acids that act as a strong inhibitor of the DBTDL activity. These acid admixtures have no influence on the DABCO catalyzed reactions. For the DBTDL and DABCO catalyzed reactions of Z‐DOLs with IPDI the dependence of effective rate constants k_eff (where k_eff = k_cat · 0.01/[DBTDL] and catalyst concentration is taken in mol % based on IPDI) on total reagents concentration were found to be described by curves with a maximum. Critical reagents concentration, after which the relationship k_eff = f (C) changes from proportional to inverse proportional, seems do not substantially depend on the solvent nature. Hydrogenated analog poly(ethylene glycol) MW 400 (PEG‐400) differs greatly from Z‐DOLs: only steady decrease of k_eff was observed with increase of reagents concentration C from 5 up to 95 wt %. Activation energies for all the studied reactions are within the range of 10.8–16.7 kcal/mol. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2579–2602, 2000     

A structural reconsideration: Linear aliphatic or alicyclic hard segments for biodegradable thermoplastic polyurethanes?

Thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers (TPUs) with a biodegradable chain extender and different nonaromatic diisocyanate hard segments were synthesized and tested concerning their thermal, mechanical, and degradation properties and for their processability regarding electrospinning. The design of the TPUs was based on the structural modification of the hard segment using linear aliphatic hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI), more rigid alicyclic 4,4′-methylene bis(cyclohexylisocyanate) (H12MDI), 1,3-bis(isocyanatomethyl)cyclohexane (BIMC), or isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI). The soft segment consisted of poly(tetrahydrofuran). Bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BET) was used as chain extender with cleavable ester bonds. Some of the polyurethanes based on alicyclic diisocyanate showed better mechanical performance than the less rigid HMDI-based TPU. The TPU in vitro degradability was tested for 25 days at elevated temperatures in PBS buffer and indicated a bulk erosion process. Electrospinning experiments were conducted and promising results with respect to further applicability of these materials in vascular tissue engineering were obtained. © 2018 The Authors Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018 , 56, 2214–2224