Comparison of Hydrolytic Resistance of Polyurethanes and Poly(Urethanemethacrylate) Copolymers in Terms of their Use as Polymer Coatings in Contact with the Physiological Liquid

Abstract

PU elastomers were synthesized using MDI, PTMO, butane-1,4-diol or 2,2,3,3-tetrafiuorobutane-1,4-diol. Using the same diisocyanate and polyether reagents urethane segments were prepared, to be inserted in the poly(urethane-methacrylate) copolymers. Bromourethane or tetraphenylethane-urethane macroinitiators were used as transitional products reacting with MMA according to the ARGET ATRP. 1H and 13C NMR spectral methods, as well as DSC and TGA thermal methods, were employed to confirm chemical structures of synthesised elastomers and copolymers. To investigate the possibility of using synthesized polymers as biomaterials a research on keeping them in physiological liquid at 37°C was performed. A loss in weight and ability to sorption of water was determined and by using GPC the molecular weight changes were compared. Additionally, changes in the thermal properties of the samples after exposure in physiological liquid were documented using both the TGA and DSC methods. The studies of surface properties (confocal microscopy and SFE) of the obtained polymers were performed. The structure of the polymer chains was defined by NMR. Possible reasons of hydrolysis were discussed, stating that new copolymers are more resistant and polar biomaterials can be less interesting than elastomers.