Properties of thermoplastic polyurethane synthesized from bio‐based diisocyanate for FDM 3D printing

Abstract Bio‐based polymeric materials have recently gained popularity due to their unique properties, including environmental friendliness, biodegradability, and sustainability. In this study, the bio‐based TPUs were successfully synthesized by one‐shot polymerization method, utilizing 100% bio‐based polytrimethylene ether glycol (PO3G) as polyols, 71% bio‐based 1,5‐pentamethylene diisocyanate (PDI) as isocyanates, and 100% bio‐based 1,4‐butanediol BDO as chain extenders. The as‐prepared TPUs, which contained up to 92% bio‐based material were investigated using a variety of analytical methods, including morphological investigations, mechanical testing, thermal analysis, rheological behavior, docking analysis, and cytotoxicity studies. For PPB 3 (1:3:2), PPB 4 (1:4:3), PPB 5 (1:5:4), and PPB 7 (1:7:6), the initial modulus values were 78, 151, 194, and 314 GPa, and the shore‐A hardness values were 92, 93, 93, and 94. Additionally, a notable variation in the degree of phase separation (DPS) of 0.575, 0.647, 0.716, and, 0.738 between hard segment (HS) and soft segment (SS) was noticed among synthesized bio‐based TPUs and an increase in DPS with higher molar ratios corresponded to a higher content of HS. Besides, the bio‐based TPU proved outstanding cell viability results, representing its potential appropriateness for various biomedical applications. Eventually, docking simulations were shown in silico to evaluate the interaction of bio‐based TPU with the DNA gyrase enzyme. Furthermore, the results of bio‐based TPUs demonstrated excellent applications in the production of 3D printing using FDM. We effectively prepared 3D printing to provide a viable answer to environmental concerns.