Functional polyurethanes: fundamentals, synthesis,characterization and their applications

Polyurethanes (PUs) have been widely used in the construction industry due to their durability, versatility, insulation, and strength-to-weight ratio.In addition, the ability to articulate reaction conditions, synthesis strategies, and physicochemical characteristics of precursors, among others, has allowed its implementation to expand to a wide range of sectors, e.g., the shipbuilding, textile, and fashion industries, the medical, sports, furniture, electronics, etc.However, in the vast majority of cases, PU applications are structural.Due to the structural versatility of controlling the nature of precursors, the synthesis, development, and use of functional polymers present enormous potential for non-structural applications.In this sense, due to the different urethanization reactions, i.e., reactions based on the use of isocyanate and reactions in the absence of isocyanate, it is possible to develop a wide range of synthesis strategies for obtaining functional materials.Although the number of publications on functional polymer has increased, its synthesis and application, conceptual and technical limitations, and scarcity of systematic information regarding its applications are evident.Therefore, the objective of the work was to make a review that allows consolidating a conceptual and referential framework on functional polyurethanes and their potential applications.Here, we address the description of the term, the synthesis strategies, the characterization methods, and their most representative applications.