The first investigation of a thermal-responsive chitin-based polyurethanes (TRCPUs) organogel composed of isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and chitin and its ability to undergo temperature-dependent sol-to-gel transition in organic solvent. The soft segments of the prepolymer that originated from the PEG imparted elastomeric and hydrophilic characteristics to the TRCPUs in polar organic solvent. The hard segments of chitin and IPDI that contained highly polar urethane linkages acted as physical alignment sites and provided lipophilic characteristics for the TRCPUs in polar organic solvent. However, chitin was incorporated into polyurethane via covalent bonding; the resultant copolymer was an injectable organosol at low temperatures that transformed to a semi-solid organogel at approximately 105�C. We are currently investigating the covalent linking of TRCPUs to each other by reacting functional groups. Meanwhile, the TRCPUs were characterized by 1H-NMR, FT-IR and DSC and the rheological behavior of its organic solutions was studied.

Synthesis and characterization of thermal-responsive chitin-based polyurethane copolymer as a smart material

243rd National Meeting (2012)

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