Synthesis and characterisation of coating polyurethane cationomers containing quaternary ammonium alkyl groups derived from built-in alkyl bromides

Polyurethane cationomers were synthesised in the reaction of 4,4′-methylenebis(phenyl isocyanate) with polyoxypropylene glycol (M = 450) and N-methyl diethanolamine. Amine segments were built-in to the urethane–isocyanate prepolymer in the reaction with 1-bromoalkanes (C₂–C₁₀), and then they were converted to alkyl-ammonium cations. The obtained isocyanate prepolymers were then extended in the aqueous medium. That yielded stable aqueous dispersions which were applied on the surfaces of test poly(tetrafluoroethylene) plates. After evaporation of water, the dispersions formed thin polymer coatings. ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectral methods were employed to confirm chemical structures of synthesised cationomers. Based on ¹H NMR and IR spectra, the factors κ and α₁ or α₁ were calculated, which represented the polarity level of the obtained cationomers. The differential scanning calorimetry method revealed decline of T _g for the hard urethane and urea segments from 60 °C to 46 °C when the number of carbon atoms increased in the alkyl radical attached to the ammonium cation. Changes were discussed in the surface free energy (SFE) and its components, as calculated independently according to the methods suggested by van Oss-Good and by Owens–Wendt, in relation to chemical structures of cationomers. The growing length (from C₂ to C₁₀) of the alkyl radical attached to the N atom in the cationomer chain was found to reduce the value of SFE of the polymer coating from 46 to 28 mJ/m². That is caused by gradual weakening of long-range interactions, within which the highest share is taken by dispersion interactions.