Polymer Bulletin (01700839)(15)
Deep eutectic solvents have attracted considerable attention due to their economic and environmental benefits. This study investigates the role of reactive DESs in the synthesis of polyurethane coatings. DESs synthesized from Tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as a hydrogen-acceptor and Poly (ethylene glycol) and Ascorbic acid (AA) as hydrogen-donors, were used as assistant platforms and reactive agents for the synthesis of new biodegradable crosslinked PU-coatings via a solvent-free process. Cured PUs were characterized by FTIR, DSC, TGA, and DMTA techniques, as well as gel-content, swelling-index, biodegradation, scratch, and hardness tests. The results show that these DESs have played a splendid multi-task role that acted as non-volatile solvents and reactive monomers as well. They also facilitated curing reaction, improved flexibility, biodegradability, swelling-index, and resistance to scratch of PU-based DESs compared to pristine PU. PU samples synthesized in the presence of [DES]PEG/TBAB (P2) and [DES]AA/TBAB (P3) showed increased flexibility and damping properties (78, 26 Shore D—0.9, 1.3 Tanδ), biodegradability (81%, 60%), swelling-index (105%, 150%) and scratch resistance (3.8, 4.5 N), by about 69%, 52%, 36%, 48%, and 26% compared to the control sample (P1), respectively. Agar diffusion tests showed antibacterial activity of PU-DESs against both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. This research highlights DESs as promising platforms to enhance the properties of PU coatings for the creation of eco-friendly, high-performance antiseptic coatings. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2024.
