Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol.108, No.1, 548-553, 2008
Surface and bulk properties of poly(ether urethane)s/fluorinated phosphatidylcholine polyurethanes blends
As a part of long-term project aimed at biomembrane mimicking polyurethanes (PU) with excellent biocompatibility and good mechanical properties, in this work, we report the surface and bulk properties of two series blends of fluorinated phosphaticlylcholine polyurethanes (FPCPU) with poly(ether urethane)s (PEU). The blend films were prepared by solution mixing, and the surface and bulk properties were investigated by contact angle measurement, XPS, DSC, and Instron. Our results demonstrated that the surface with high percentage of phosphorus, fluorine, and nitrogen content could be achieved by blending FPCPU with PEU, because of the migration of FPCPU to the surface, resulting in a decreased water contact angle and increased hystersis. The blend films showed a reversible rearrangement of surface structure according to the change of environment from dry state to hydrated state. DSC result suggested that FPCPU could be phase miscible with PEU well in a broad composition region (as the content of FPCPU is less than 50 wt %). The blends showed an increased tensile strength and elongation at break compared with FPCPU, and increased modulus compared with PEU. Combined with the improved mechanical properties and much reduced price, together with the excellent blood compatibility, it can be expected these materials may play important roles in future medical application. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.