Bio-based waterborne polyurethane/carbon dot nanocomposite as a surface coating material

Waterborne surface coating materials with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are environmentally friendly and hence the most desired materials for the modern society. The present study reports in situ fabricated thermosetting hyperbranched waterborne polyurethane (WPU)/carbon dot (CD) nanocomposites as surface coating materials. CD was used as a nanoreinforcing agent (at 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 weight percentages) in the nanocomposites. The structures of the waterborne polyurethane and its fabricated thermosetting nanocomposites were analyzed by using different spectroscopic and analytical tools like Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometry. The mechanical properties of the pristine thermosetting WPU were significantly improved after incorporation of CD (tensile strength from 4.5 to 8.5 MPa, elongation at break value from 96 to 136%, scratch hardness from 3 to 9 kg, impact strength from 70 to 100 cm). The thermal stability of WPU also enhanced from 250 to 280 °C after incorporation of CD in the matrix. Interestingly, the fabricated nanocomposites demonstrated an excitation wavelength and concentration dependent photoluminance behavior as well as exhibited good transparency. Thus, the fabricated WPU nanocomposites show great potential as low VOC containing environment friendly transparent surface coating material.