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Chain Extender-induced Hydrogen Bonding Organization Determines the Morphology and Properties of Thermoplastic Polycarbonate Polyurethane

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Abstract

Thermoplastic polycarbonate polyurethanes (PCUs) are multiblock copolymers that have been applied for medical devices for long time. Aliphatic diols are common chain extenders (CE) involved in the composition of the hard segments of PCU. However, limited knowledge was discovered about how the chemical structure of CE affects the hydrogen bonding organization within PCUs and their mechanical properties. To investigate this problem, a group of PCUs were synthesized respectively by extending the polymer chain with 1,4-butanediol (BDO), aminoethanol (MEA), ethanediol (EO) as three kinds of chain extenders. Tiny differences in the CE chemical structure results in remarkable variations in phase separation, condensed morphologies, thermal and mechanical properties, which are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, atomic force microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, differential scanning calorimetry, and tensile tests. The microstructural evolution during unilateral deformation and the different mechanism induced by the different CEs was probed and unveil by in situ wide- and small-angle X-ray diffraction. Symmetry of CE can improve the organization of the hydrogen bonding. The coherence strength of the urethane/urea group also plays a key role by comparing the two PCUs with ethanediol and aminoethanol.

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Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21774135). Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF) is acknowledged for kindly providing beam time and assistance.

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  1. These authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College/National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Beijing, 100037, China

    Yi-Lang Qin & Chen-Xi Ouyang

  2. CAS Key Laboratory of Engineering Plastics, CAS Research/Education Center for Excellence in Molecular Sciences, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Yi-Lang Qin, Ping Zhu & Xia Dong

  3. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xia Dong

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  1. Yi-Lang Qin
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  2. Ping Zhu
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  3. Chen-Xi Ouyang
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Correspondence to Chen-Xi Ouyang or Xia Dong.

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Chain Extender-induced Hydrogen Bonding Organization Determine the Morphology and Properties of Thermoplastic Polycarbonate Polyurethane

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Qin, YL., Zhu, P., Ouyang, CX. et al. Chain Extender-induced Hydrogen Bonding Organization Determines the Morphology and Properties of Thermoplastic Polycarbonate Polyurethane. Chin J Polym Sci 42, 87–96 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10118-023-3010-7

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