Mechanical and Shape-Memory Properties of Poly(mannitol sebacate)/Cellulose Nanocrystal Nanocomposites

Polyesters based on polyols and sebacic acid, known as poly(polyol sebacate)s (PPS), are attracting considerable attention, as their properties are potentially useful in the context of soft-tissue engineering applications. To overcome the drawback that PPSs generally display rather low strength and stiffness, we have pursued the preparation of nanocomposites based poly(mannitol sebacate) (PMS), a prominent example of this materials family, with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Nanocomposites were achieved in a two-step process. A soluble, low-molecular-weight PMS pre-polymer was formed via the polycondensation reaction between sebacic acid and D-mannitol. Nanocomposites with different CNC content were prepared by solution-casting and curing under vacuum using two different profiles designed to prepare materials with low and high degree of crosslinking. The as-prepared nanocomposites have higher stiffness and toughness than the neat PMS matrix while maintaining a high elongation at break. A highly crosslinked nanocomposite with a CNC content of 5 wt % displays a sixfold increase in Young's modulus and a fivefold improvement in toughness. Nanocomposites also exhibit a shape memory effect with a switch temperature in the range of 15 to 45 degrees C; in particular the materials with a thermal transition in the upper part of this range are potentially useful for biomedical applications. (c) 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.