Synthesis and characterization of waterborne polyurethane containing poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) as new biodegradable elastomers

) and a prepolymerization temperature at 95 °C gave rise to PU with the best properties in general. The latter PU also showed excellent biodegradation (52% weight loss after 30 days) and biocompatibility (capsule thickness ∼23 μm) in vivo. Furthermore, the PU dispersion could be electrospun into nanofibers (∼400 nm diameter) without the use of organic solvents. Therefore, the eco-friendly PU containing PHB blocks has good mechanical properties, processing abilities, and biocompatibility, and may be a new category of biodegradable elastomers and potential biomaterials for cardiovascular and other medical applications.