Non-isocyanate poly(hydroxyurethane)s (PHUs) made by reacting bis(cyclic carbonate)s and amines are important alternatives to conventional polyurethanes. In this work, a series of PHUs was synthesized using a solvent-free, catalyst-free method from bis(2,3-dihydroxypropyl)ether dicarbonate and 1,3-diaminopropane using differing molar ratios of dimethyl succinate to change selected properties of each PHU. The obtained PHUs were characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and their thermal properties and viscosities were determined. We report the use of the obtained PHUs as wood adhesives and the work of adhesion data determined using Owens–Wendt method. The mechanical properties (strength) of different PHU–wood joints were compared. It was found that the addition of dimethyl succinate increases the hydrophobicity of coatings by increasing the water contact angle and decreasing the polar component of the surface free energy of the PHU coatings. PHUs with urethane and amide backbones were stronger than those without.

Development of hydrophobically modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR) rheology modifiers enabled the widespread application of waterborne paints and coatings, replacing their environmentally burdening solvent-based predecessors. However, the diisocyanates, required for the conventional synthesis of HEURs, pose severe eco-sustainability threats. In this paper, we demonstrate an innovative approach to avoiding toxic components in the preparation of rheology modifiers by obtaining a new class of water-soluble isocyanate-free hydrophobically modified ethoxylated poly(hydroxy-urethane)s (IFHEURs). The first step in the synthetic pathway was the preparation of CO₂-based five-membered poly(ethylene glycol) bis(cyclic carbonate) and its subsequent aminolysis using 4,7,10-trioxa-1,13-tridecanediamine, yielding poly(hydroxy-urethane) (PHU) prepolymers terminated with cyclic carbonate groups. The PHU prepolymers were further extended in a reactive extrusion (REX) synthesis using biobased hydrophobic diamine PRIAMINE 1075. The REX technique made it possible to overcome the typical limitations of the aminolysis reaction and to reach the desired conversion within a moderate reaction time. IFHEURs have been structurally elucidated using FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy techniques, MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry, and SEC analysis and applied as rheology modifiers. The study of their associative behavior in aqueous solutions confirmed that the architectural flexibility of the obtained IFHEURs, containing terminal and pendant hydrophobic groups, opens a perspective for tuneable thickening performance.

For the first time, synthesis of the simplest derivative of glycerol, a six-membered cyclic glycerol carbonate (5-hydroxy-1,3-dioxan-2-one), from glycerol is presented.

Shear thickening fluids (STFs) are innovative materials that can find applications in smart body armor. However, the usage of STFs is limited by the aging of these materials. This work aims to analyze the influence of UV radiation on the aging process of STFs. The investigation was done experimentally, and artificial aging was applied to investigate the impact of UV radiation on the properties of STFs. The shear-thickening properties of obtained STFs were confirmed by viscosity measurements. The STFs based on PPG425, PPG2700, and KE-P10 exhibited a very high maximum viscosity of up to 580.7 Pa·s and 3313 Pa·s for the STF425 and STF2700, respectively. The aging of the obtained STFs caused the liquid matrix degradation, causing damage to the STFs and their change from liquid into solid. Furthermore, the FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies were used for the confirmation of the breakdown of STFs. The FT-IR spectroscopy revealed the appearance of carbonyl groups in STFs after aging. Moreover, ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy confirmed the formation of the typical groups containing carbonyl groups. Our results demonstrate that STFs are UV light-sensitive and may lose their properties during storage.