Chitin/polyurethane networks and blends: Evaluation of biological application

Aiming at the combination of the biological properties of chitin and the mechanical and thermal characteristics of polyurethane, the two polymers were combined in two macromolecular configurations. In the first, the polymers were mixed forming blends and in the second tridimensional networks were built. The potential application of the two systems as biomedical materials was studied, showing that both blends and networks presented high stability with low mass loss in media simulating living tissue. No toxic products were released and the adhesion to Vero cells was low. These preliminary results in vitro indicated that the materials are potentially biocompatible, with potential bio medical applications.