Journal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, Vol.54, No.10, 1367-1372, 2016
Breathable Rubbery Skin Protectors: Design, Synthesis, Characterization, and Properties of Cyanoacrylated Silicone Rubber Networks
We extended our investigations of rubbery wound closure adhesives and created novel flexible networks by crosslinking cyanoacrylated silicone rubbers (i.e., commercial methylhydrosiloxane-dimethylsiloxane copolymers, PMHS-co-PDMS) with N,N-dimethyl-p-toluidine in tetrahydrofuran and hexamethyldisiloxane solvents at room temperature. Cyanoacrylation was achieved by hydrosilating (anthracene-protected) allyl cyanoacrylate with PMHS-co-PDMS. Steric hindrance and the molecular weight of the copolymer strongly affect the extent of hydrosilation. The rate of crosslinking is proportional with the number of cyanoacrylate groups in the copolymer and networks form in seconds with appropriate amounts of initiator. Networks on porcine skin yield well-adhering flexible optically-transparent colorless conformal coatings of good "feel" appropriate for clinically useful non-occlusive "breathable" skin or wound protectors. (C) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.