Synthesis and properties of hydrophilic segmented poly(urethanes) based on poly(ethylene glycols) and glycerol monostearate

Poly(urethanes) having the structure of comb-shaped copolymers were synthesized from glycerol monostearate, poly(ethylene glycols) with M _n = 300–6000, and 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate. Effects of the molecular mass of segments and of the contents of soft segments and side chains on both the glass transition temperature of the soft segment and on the melting point and the enthalpy of melting of crystalline phases involving soft segments and side chains were studied by DSC and IR spectroscopy. The resulting comb-shaped copolymers were shown to exhibit thermoplastic and hydrophilic behavior. It was demonstrated that the ultimate tensile strength, yield stress, and Young’s modulus of copolymer films increase with an increase in the molecular masses of soft and hard segments with their ratio maintained constant.