Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, polyurethanes (PUs) are considered to be the most versatile and rapidly emerging class of polymers that are able to meet specific needs of our society. In the era of “plastics”, there is a continuously increasing demand for the manufacture of such polymers with various properties. Using the chemical reaction between isocyanates and polyols, PUs in different forms, including linear and crosslinked ones, can be synthesized.  The wide variety of both the isocyanate and the polyol components, as well as the variation of the reaction conditions (e.g., the molar ratio of the reactants, catalyst, temperature, etc.) allows us to tailor the mechanical, chemical and even the biological properties for a particular PU system. In addition, the properties of PUs for a specific application can be further improved through the incorporation of various polymer segments and/or activatable bonds in the backbone, and/or by introducing specific pendant groups/segments onto the main polymer chain. The term “functional” in the manner we use herein represents not only the chemical modification (i.e., functionalization) possibilities, but also covers one or more functional properties operating based on different mechanisms. Self-healing assisted by shape memory properties is an excellent example of the combination of two functions working on different principles. Such “functional” PUs have attained considerable interest because of their manifold and unprecedented application possibilities.

The aim of this Special Issue of Polymers, entitled “Functional Polyurethanes II”, which is the continuation of the previous Special Issue “Functional Polyurethanes”, is to cover the most recent progress in the field of polyurethane “functionalization”. This Special Issue will also consider the novel design, synthesis and characterization of functional monomers/polymers including theoretical calculations, too, as well as the applications of functional PUs (e.g., coatings, nanocomposites, elastomers, ionomers, waterborne PUs, tissue engineering, shape memory, self-healing effects). Both research and review papers are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Sándor Kéki
Guest Editor

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• Polyurethanes
• Synthesis, mechanisms, kinetics
• Characterization, theoretical calculations
• “Click” chemistry
• Shape memory polyurethanes
• Self-healing polyurethanes
• Tissue engineering
• Ionomers, waterborne PUs
• Nanocomposites