Diacetylene Containing Polyesters and Segmented Polyurethanes with Body Temperature Sensitive Thermochromic Transitions

Abstract

Several diacetylene containing polyesters with thermochromic transitions at or around room temperature have been synthesized. Some of these polymers have been shown to be highly sensitive to body temperature, giving rise to either reversible or irreversible thermochromic changes, depending upon both the molecular structure and the processing conditions. By changing the structure and processing conditions, the thermochromic transition can be moved over a wide range of temperatures. Segmented polyurethanes using these diacetylene functionalized polyesters as soft segments and containing diacetylene groups in the hard segments have also been produced. Through a selective polymerization process, it is possible to selectively cross-polymerize the hard segment diacetylene groups or cross-polymerize both the hard and soft segments thereby making it possible to examine the effects of hard and soft segment crosslinking on mechanical properties.