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Polyurethane Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 3445

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for The Green Preparation and Application of Functional Materials, Hubei Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
Interests: polymer emulsion; polymers; polyurethane; coating

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polyurethane (PU) can be made which demonstrates the high elasticity of rubber or the good mechanical strength of general plastics by adjusting the proportions of soft and hard segments on the molecular chain. PU also has excellent solvent resistance, wear resistance and low-temperature resistance. With the increasing requirements for environmental protection in today's society, environment-friendly materials containing no or a small amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have gradually become the mainstream of development, and PU has been widely used for this purpose. PU is also becoming increasingly popular in coatings, crosslinking agents, fabric finishing agents, and other fields of application. 

Prof. Dr. Zushun Xu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • polyurethane
  • polyurethane modification
  • coating
  • cross-linking
  • self-healing
  • thermosensitive polymers
  • environment-friendly applications

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

11 pages, 2173 KiB  
Article
Synthesis and Evaluation of a Silver Nanoparticle/Polyurethane Composite That Exhibits Antiviral Activity against SARS-CoV-2
by Wing T. Lam, Tahkur S. Babra, Julian H. D. Smith, Mark C. Bagley, John Spencer, Edward Wright and Barnaby W. Greenland
Polymers 2022, 14(19), 4172; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14194172 - 4 Oct 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3008
Abstract
In this proof-of-concept study, we aim to produce a polyurethane (PU)-based composite that can reduce the amount of viable SARS-CoV-2 virus in contact with the surface of the polymeric film without further interventions such as manual cleaning. Current protocols for maintaining the hygiene [...] Read more.
In this proof-of-concept study, we aim to produce a polyurethane (PU)-based composite that can reduce the amount of viable SARS-CoV-2 virus in contact with the surface of the polymeric film without further interventions such as manual cleaning. Current protocols for maintaining the hygiene of commonly used touchpoints (door handles, light switches, shop counters) typically rely on repeated washing with antimicrobial products. Since the start of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, frequent and costly surface sanitization by workers has become standard procedure in many public areas. Therefore, materials that can be retrofitted to touchpoints, yet inhibit pathogen growth for extended time periods are an important target. Herein, we design and synthesise the PU using a one-pot synthetic procedure on a multigram scale from commercial starting materials. The PU forms a robust composite thin film when loaded with 10 wt% silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The addition of AgNPs increases the ultimate tensile strength, modules of toughness and modulus of elasticity at the cost of a reduced elongation at break when compared to the pristine PU. Comparative biological testing was carried out by the addition of pseudotyped virus (PV) bearing the SARS-CoV-2 beta (B.1.351) VOC spike protein onto the film surfaces of either the pristine PU or the PU nanocomposite. After 24 h without further human intervention the nanocomposite reduced the amount of viable virus by 67% (p = 0.0012) compared to the pristine PU treated under the same conditions. The significance of this reduction in viable virus load caused by our nanocomposite is that PUs form the basis of many commercial paints and coatings. Therefore, we envisage that this work will provide the basis for further progress towards producing a retrofittable surface that can be applied to a wide variety of common touchpoints. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polyurethane Composites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications)
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