Comparison of hydrogen bonding in polydimethylsiloxane and polyether based urethane and urea copolymers

Hydrogen bonding in polydimethylsiloxane and polyether based urethane and urea type segmented copolymers was investigated by infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and quantum mechanical calculations. Hydrogen bonding in model urethane and urea compounds was compared with those of the copolymers, in order to determine the extent of interaction and resulting phase mixing between hard and soft segments in these copolymers. Quantum mechanical calculations were also used to determine the interaction energies due to hydrogen bonding in model urethane and urea compounds. Further, similar calculations were also performed to quantify the interactions between silicone and ether type soft segments, and urea and urethane type hard segments. As expected, these calculations clearly indicated the absence of any interaction between silicones and urea groups, while there was substantial hydrogen bonding between urea groups and the oxygen in the ether type soft segments. Results of FTIR studies and quantum mechanical calculations were in good agreement with thermomechanical behavior and mechanical properties of these copolymers.