Synthesis of Functional Sugar-Based Polyurethanes

Three new polyurethanes (PUs) with multiple pendant allyl groups were synthesized from L-arabinitol as versatile materials for the preparation of tailor-made PUs with varying degrees of functionalization. Their allyl functional groups can take part in thiol-ene reactions to obtain greatly diverse materials. Thus, six new highly functional PUs were prepared by click chemistry to give polymers with NHBoc [NH-CO-OC(CH3)3], amino, carboxylic, and 1,2-dihydroxyethyl side groups. The thermal stability of the novel PUs was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. This strategy provides a simple and versatile platform for the design of new materials whose functionality can be easily modified to anchor diverse biologically active molecules.