Self-Repairable Polyurethane Networks by Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Water

Sugar moieties were incorporated into cross-linked polyurethane (PUR) networks in an effort to achieve self-repairing in the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). When methyl-alpha-D-glucopyranoside (MGP) molecules are reacted with hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer (HDI) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) to form cross-linked MGP-polyurethane (PUR) networks, these materials are capable of self-repairing in air. This process requires atmospheric amounts of CO2 and H2O, thus resembling plant behavior of carbon fixation during the photosynthesis cycle. Molecular processes responsible for this unique self-repair process involve physical diffusion of cleaved network segments as well as the formation of carbonate and urethane linkages. Unlike plants, MGP-PUR networks require no photo-initiated reactions, and they are thus capable of repair in darkness under atmospheric conditions.