Synthesis of High-Molecular-Weight and Strength Polyisobutylene-Based Polyurethane and Its Use for the Development of a Synthetic Heart Valve.


Type
Article
Change log
Authors
Deodhar, Tejal 
Nugay, Nihan 
Patel, Ruhi 
Moggridge, Geoff 
Abstract

Under optimized synthesis conditions, for the first time, polyisobutylene-based polyurethane (PIB-PU) is prepared with 70% PIB soft segment (i.e., a bioinert and calcification-resistant PU) with Mn > 100 000 Da, 32 MPa ultimate strength, and 630% elongation. The key parameters for this achievement are a) the precise stoichiometry of the polyurethane forming reaction, specifically the use of highly purified di-isocyanate (4,4'-methylene-bis (phenyl isocyanate), MDI), and b) the increased solid content of the synthesis solution to the limit beyond which increased viscosity prevents stirring. The shape of the stress-strain trace of PIB-PU indicates a two-step failure starting with a reversible elastic (Hookean) region up to ≈50% yield, followed by a slower linearly increasing high-modulus-deformation region suggesting the strengthening of PIB soft segments by entanglement/catenation, and the hard segments by progressively ordering urethane domains. This PIB-PU is a candidate for a fully synthetic bioprosthetic heart valve since preliminary studies show that PIB-PU has impressive fatigue life.

Description
Keywords
fatigue life, fully synthetic bioprosthetic heart valves, mechanical properties, polyisobutylene-based polyurethane, Polyurethanes, Polymers, Polyenes, Heart Valves
Journal Title
Macromol Rapid Commun
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
1022-1336
1521-3927
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley
Sponsorship
Armstrong Trust and Vice Chancellor's Scholarship