Waterborne Polyurethanes Incorporating Trimethyl‐Beta‐Cyclodextrin as Potential Delivery Systems for Bioactive Compounds

ABSTRACT This study investigates the waterborne polyurethanes (WPU) containing trimethyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (TM‐β‐CD) as a promising pesticide delivery system. The results of the study show the conceptual possibility of obtaining WPU loaded with TM‐β‐CD. Differential scanning calorimetry and confocal optical microscopy have confirmed that the TM‐β‐CD is compatible with WPU at the molecular level. It was shown that the introduction of TM‐β‐CD into waterborne polyurethane system reduces the critical micelle concentration of the studied objects and, as a result, increases their stability. Also, the incorporation of TM‐β‐CD leads to bimodality in the particle size distribution curves of the dispersed phase, which is apparently due to the additive encapsulation into the polyurethane matrix. WPUs incorporated with cyclodextrin derivative do not affect the viability of indoor Spathiphyllum plants adversely, while demonstrating significantly higher retention characteristics than those of TM‐β‐CD itself. It was found, according to the results of an acute toxicity study of WPU on BDF1 mice, that the compound is of low toxicity after a single intragastric administration. LD50 was not reached with the maximum possible single dose of 5000 mg kg −1 . It was concluded that WPUs incorporating cyclodextrin derivatives are promising for use in agriculture as a delivery platform for biologically active compounds.