Synthesis and structure–property relationship of polyester-urethanes and their evaluation for the regeneration of contractile tissues

The structure–property relationship of degradable polyurethanes from non toxic building blocks was studied by synthesising four different biodegradable poly(ester urethanes) from poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) diol, 1,4-diisocyanatobutane and different chain extenders. For instance, the chain extenders were an amino acid derivative diamine, an amino acid derivative diol, a cyclic diol and a custom made diamine, containing an enzymatically degradable peptide (Ala–Ala sequence). Physicochemical and morphological characterisation (SEC, DSC, DMA, AFM) was performed, showing the influence of the chain extender on the polyurethane properties. A correlation between surface domain morphologies and thermal properties was highlighted and a relationship between the biological response and surface morphologies was observed. Collecting mechanical characterisation and myoblast cell culture results together, the polyurethane synthesised with the amino acid derivative diamine resulted the most promising candidate for fabricating scaffolds supporting the regeneration of muscle tissues.