Synthesis of polyurethane/polyethylene grafted polymers using cyclotriphosphazene as a coupling agent

The reaction between a dihydroxyphenoxycyclotriphosphazene containing allylic functions, 3, and hexamethylene-1,6-diisocyanate (HDI) leads to a new cyclotriphosphazene-substituted polyurethane 4. The structures of both classes of compounds involved in that synthesis were investigated by P-31, C-13 and H-1-NMR, infrared, and mass spectrometries, size-exclusion chromatography, and elemental analysis. The thermal behavior of 4 was investigated and compared to that of hexaphenoxycyclotriphosphazene, N3P3(OC6H5)(6), and of a polyurethane synthesized from 1,3-bis(hydroxy)benzene and HDI. The free-radical-promoted grafting of 4 onto the polyethylene surface is described. The resultant surface was studied by ATR-IR, XPS, and contact-angle techniques. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.