Synthesis, Characterization and Properties of Antibacterial Polyurethanes

Area of Science:

• Polymer Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Polyurethanes (PUs) are versatile polymers with broad applications.
• Developing PUs with enhanced functionalities like self-assembly and antimicrobial properties is of significant interest.
• Physically crosslinked PUs offer tunable properties and processing advantages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel physically crosslinked polyurethane (PUII) hydrogels.
• To investigate the solvent-induced self-assembly behavior and resulting morphologies of PUII.
• To evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy and mechanical properties of PUII films incorporating an antibacterial agent.

Main Methods:

• Two-step synthesis of isophorone diisocyanate-based PUII.
• Characterization using FTIR, 1H NMR, GPC, SEM, and DSC.
• Solvent-induced self-assembly in THF/water mixtures.
• Antimicrobial testing against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Botrytis cinerea.
• Mechanical property evaluation.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and characterization of PUII.
• Observation of diverse self-assembled morphologies via SEM.
• Enhanced antibacterial activity against Botrytis cinerea with low concentrations of 1,3,5-Tris(2-hydroxyethyl)hexahydro-1,3,5-triazine (TNO).
• PUII films demonstrated good mechanical properties.

Conclusions:

• Novel physically crosslinked polyurethane (PUII) hydrogels were successfully prepared.
• PUII exhibits controllable self-assembly into various morphologies.
• Incorporation of TNO imparts significant antimicrobial activity, particularly against gray mold, without compromising mechanical integrity.
• These findings suggest potential applications for functional antimicrobial polyurethane materials.