Hydrophilic Polyurethanes: A Brief Review from the Synthesis to Biomedical Applications

Abstract

In this work we present a brief-review on the state of the art of hydrophilic or waterborne polyurethanes from their synthesis to their applications in biomedicine. The fundamentals of the synthesis are analyzed starting with the chemistry of isocyanates, structure-property relationship, most common commercially available reagents, and the isocyanate blocking reactions. Then, the applicability of polyurethanes in biomaterials is studied focusing on the formulation of hydrogels for wound healing and tissue engineering, as well as drug delivery applications.