[n]-Polyurethanes: Synthesis and Characterization

More than 50 years after Otto Bayer's detailed description of [m,n]-polyurethanes, the first general synthesis of [n]-polyurethanes 1 is described. This series of aliphatic [n]-polyurethanes is synthesized by the in situ polymerization of the corresponding alpha,omega-isocyanato alcohol monomers, which in turn are made out of linear alpha,omega-amino alcohols and di-tert-butyltricarbonate. Polymers of high molecular weight possessing a uniform microstructure are obtained, while their melting points show a strong odd-even effect.