Chitin-based poly(urea-urethane)s.

Chitins of various origins in DMA-LiCl solution have been reacted with excess 1,6-diisocyanatohexane (three or twelve equivalents per repeating unit) for 4-20 h. The resulting solutions were exposed to water vapor for 2 days and flexible and opaque materials were produced, which upon drying yielded powders whose main characteristics were insolubility in aqueous and organic solvents, remarkable crystallinity, typical infrared spectrum, high N/C ratio (0.287), and a high degree of substitution (0.29). Under the SEM structural features reminiscent of chitin were absent but no thermoplastic behavior was found by differential scanning calorimetry. Chitosan was similarly treated under heterogeneous conditions in anhydrous pyridine, and yielded reaction products with a lower degree of substitution (0.17). With partially hydrolysed chitosan, highly crystalline products were obtained.