Preparation and Properties of Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)-Based Amphiphilic Polyurethane Elastomers

Amphiphilic polyurethane elastomers (APUE) were synthesized using a two-step polyaddition reaction based on the hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) soft segments with the molecular weights (Mw’s) of 2000 and 1000, respectively. The effects of the PDMS/PEG contents on the properties and structures of the APUE were investigated. It was found that the APUE possessed high elongation, moderate tensile strength, and good thermal properties. In addition, the APUE showed tunable oxygen permeability (Dk) and water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and a similar WVTR to that of skin could be obtained for the optimized sample (APUE2). Importantly, APUE also exhibited excellent antibacterial efficacy against two kinds of bacteria along with impressive cytocompatibility. All of the results demonstrated that the synthesized APUE will hold substantial potential for biomaterial applications.