Effect of Solvent and Functionality on the Physical Properties of Hydroxyl-Terminated Polybutadiene (HTPB)-Based Polyurethane.

The present article reports the investigation on the effects of solvent and position of functionality on various physical properties of polyurethanes (PUs) based on hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB). The PU films (curative)  were prepared by coupling HTPB (P0) with isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI) in various solvent media. The PUs obtained in different solvent media displayed similar thermal profile and glass transition temperature (T g), but their tensile properties varied significantly. Optimized tensile properties were observed when tetrahydrofuran was used as the solvent media. In the course, the investigation of the functionality effect, tetrazole (M1, M2, and M3) were covalently attached at the terminal carbon of HTPB to obtain three modified HTPBs (P1, P2, and P3), thereby coupling with IPDI to obtain the corresponding tetrazole functional PUs films. Pristine (P0-PU) and functional PU (P1-PU, P2-PU, and P3-PU) films have similar thermal profile and T g (-76 °C), but they have a notable enhancement in tensile properties; for example, tensile strength and elongation at break of P0-PU were found to be 3.21 MPa and 727%, respectively, whereas these values were 4.84 MPa and 958%, respectively, in the case of P3-PU. It was observed that on increasing the number of methylene group from 1 to 3 between HTPB and tetrazole moiety, the strength of hydrogen bonding increases, which facilitates better packing of urethane network in the PU and hence improves the tensile properties. Also, modification of pristine HTPB with tetrazole derivatives enhanced the calorific values of the resulting PUs.

Introduction

Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), an oligomeric diol monomer cum binder for the preparation of polyurethane (PU) rubber, possesses peculiar inherent properties such as excellent hydrolytic stability, low-temperature flexibility, and high solid loading capacity, and the resulting PU displayed excellent elongation, tensile strength, and good elastic recovery.[1−6] Driven by the above-mentioned properties, HTPB and HTPB-based PU have been extensively used in membranes, adhesives, coating, packing, and cushioning applications. In addition, HTPB has become the most promising binder for oxidizers, metallic fuels, and other additives in composite propellant application.[7−14] In composite propellant, HTPB-based binders not only provide dimensional stability and structural integrity but also impart outstanding mechanical properties.

HTPB is an inert prepolymer that contributes nearly 10–15% mass of the propellant compositions; hence, it has been always an adventurous task to replace the inert mass by energetic polymers. Over past few decays, significant numbers of research groups across the globe have engaged in developing energetic HTPB by introducing energetic molecules along the backbone without compromising its inherent physicochemical properties. For instance, to improve the ballistic performances of composite propellants, HTPB was grafted with poly(glycidyl azide), poly(3-nitratomethyl-3-methyloxetane), poly(glycidylnitrate), poly(vinyl nitrates), nitro groups, etc.[15−20] In the same direction, recently, we successfully demonstrated the attachment of some commercially available nitrogen-rich molecules such as dinitrobenzene, cyanuric chloride, 2-chloro-4,6-bis(dimethylamino)-1,3,5-triazine, and 1-chloro-3,5-diazido-2,4,6-triazine at the terminal carbons of HTPB.[21−24] On the other hand, for burn rate enhancement, ferrocene[25] and its derivatives such as iron pentacarbonyl,[26] vinyl ferrocene,[27] 2-(ferrocenylpropyl)dimethylsilane, etc.[28] were grafted covalently to the HTPB backbone. Most of these modifications demonstrated good energy output but fail to improve the postcured mechanical properties, processability at higher solid loading, and compatibility with other ingredients.

On technical aspect, rocket motors demand adequate mechanical properties to enable them to withstand the stresses imposed during operation, handling, transportation, and motor firing. The urethane network obtained by curing HTPB with a suitable diisocyanate (curative) is the common technique used for obtaining mechanical stability. A detail literature survey states that the mechanical properties of polyurethanes (PUs) are determined by various factors, some of which are discussed here. Sarkar et al.[29] showed that incorporating lignin in the PU improves their mechanical properties. Santerre et al.[30] demonstrated that amino acid-modified PUs display better mechanical properties. Zhang et al.[31] reported the enhancement in tensile properties of PU by modifying with hexamethylene diisocyanate trimer and dihydroxyl propyl-terminated siloxane oligomers. Chung et al.[32] discussed the effect of Lewis acid on the mechanical properties of PUs. Bui et al.[33] reported that the presence of low-volatile solvent such as dimethyl sulfoxide in the polymerization reaction mixture increases the tensile properties of the PUs. In our latest report,[34,35] we observed that the functionalized HTPB at the terminal carbon with nitrogen-rich molecules significantly improved the tensile property due to the presence of strong hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions in the PUs chain. Although highly appreciated efforts were made by several research groups for enhancing the tensile properties, there persists a tremendous challenge to produce HTPB-based PUs where both stress and strain can be enhanced simultaneously to meet the future requirement for composite propellant formulation and other advanced applications.

In summary, mechanical properties of PUs are generally governed by either modifying the diol or the diisocyanate, or the presence of organic solvent in the polymerization reaction mixture. Second, the overall energy content of a polymer is increased by introducing nitrogen-rich molecules along its backbone. Therefore, integrating the above-mentioned aspects, in the present report, we targeted to increase the energy output and improve mechanical properties of PUs. To achieve our goal, we first explored the effect of solvent on thermal and mechanical properties of PUs based on HTPB. Our subsequent investigation was to suitably place the tertazole moiety to have better inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Effective interactions will result better packing of urethane network in the PU matrix, which will be reflected on the mechanical properties. Also, by incorporating functionality, we expected to increase the energy output of PU. The above findings were supported with various spectroscopic techniques and discussed in details.

Results and Discussion

Nitrogen-rich organic molecules are environmental benign and have proved to be the most potential candidates for high energetic material applications. Tetrazole, nitrogen-rich five-membered heterocyclic molecules, can be easily synthesized in one pot by reacting sodium azide with the corresponding nitrile. In the present report, three homologous tetrazole series (M1, M2, and M3) were synthesized (Scheme ) and completely characterized spectroscopically before performing further experiments. The detailed synthetic protocol and characterization data are presented in the Experimental Section. The 1H NMR spectra is shown in Figure .

Scheme 1

Synthesis of 5-(Chloroalkyl)-1H-tetrazole

Figure 1

1H NMR spectra of M1, M2, and M3.

Tetrazoles (M1, M2, and M3) were then covalently coupled at the terminal carbon of HTPB (P0) for obtaining the three modified HTPBs (P1, P2, and P3) (Scheme ) by using the synthetic procedure given in the Experimental Section. The attachment of tetrazoles with HTPB was confirmed by changes in various physicochemical properties such as viscosity, molecular weight, and hydroxyl values, all of which are summarized in Table . Though we noticed a small increase in molecular weight after attachments of tetrazoles to P0, but we observed a significant decrease in viscosity and no change in hydroxyl value. The lower viscosity is very much useful in terms of higher loading capacity of the binder. The decrease in viscosity may be due to preferential attachment of tetrazoles on the HTPB microstructure, which possesses a lower viscosity.

Scheme 2

Synthesis of HTPB-Di(alkyl-1H-tetrazole), P(1–3)

Table 1

Various Physical Data of P0, P1, P2, and P3

sample name	number average molecular weight, (Mn)a	PDIa	viscosity (cp) at 30 °C	hydroxyl value (mg KOH/gm)
P0	6845	1.82	5370	42.35
P1	7705	1.96	3604	40.50
P2	7645	1.85	3666	40.85
P3	7920	1.92	4651	41.10

Mn and polydispersity index (PDI) are obtained from gel permeation chromatography (GPC) analysis in tetrahydrofuran (THF).

For synthesizing PU, isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), a readily commercially available aliphatic diisocyanate, was used as a model diisocyanate. P0 and IPDI were coupled using catalytic amount of dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL) in various solvent media to obtain P0–PUs. The progress in polymerization was monitored using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy by noticing the appearance of urethane linkage −NH peak (3330 cm–1) and the disappearance of hydroxyl (3400 cm–1) and isocyanate (2270 cm–1) peaks. Hydroxyl functional solvents such as methanol or ethanol are nonsolvent for HTPB and some dihydroxyl solvents act as chain extenders for synthesizing PUs;[24] hence, we restricted hydroxyl solvents from our solvent selection. Thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetric experiments performed on the P0–PU samples obtained in different solvents media did not show any significant difference in thermal profile or glass transition temperature (Tg). Hence, with a conclusion that solvents have negligible effect on the thermal properties of the PUs based on HTPB, we looked into the effect of solvent on mechanical properties. For mechanical properties, universal testing machine (UTM) experiments were performed, and we observed some interesting phenomenon. It was also observed that the P0–PUs obtained in different solvents have different values of tensile stress, tensile strain, Young’s modulus, toughness, and effective cross-linking. Best tensile properties were observed when THF was used as the solvent medium for polymerization of PU (Table ). This motivated us to carry out PU polymerization of modified HTPBs (P1, P2, and P3) in the THF solvent to obtain PUs (P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU, respectively) as shown schematically in Scheme . The detail reaction procedure is described in the Experimental Section.

Table 2

Various Tensile Properties of Polyurethanes; P(0–3)–PUs as Obtained from the UTM Studies

entry	polyurethane	solvent	tensile strength (σb, MPa)	elongation at break (εb, %)	toughness (MPa)	Young’s modulus (E, MPa)	effective cross-linkinga (N, m–3)
1	P0–PU	hexane	1.68	290	305.19	17.22 × 10–3	1.39 × 1024
2	P0–PU	toluene	1.43	585	495.94	7.71 × 10–3	0.62 × 1024
3	P0–PU	DCM	1.32	260	217.40	14.58 × 10–3	1.17 × 1024
4	P0–PU	THF	3.21	727	1247.53	9.58 × 10–3	0.77 × 1024
5	P0–PU	dioxane	1.13	840	421.89	3.17 × 10–3	0.26 × 1024
6	P1–PU	THF	2.15	795	1253.32	9.88 × 10–3	0.79 × 1024
7	P2–PU	THF	2.85	873	1491.87	9.98 × 10–3	0.81 × 1024
8	P3–PU	THF	4.84	958	2760.55	15.30 × 10–3	1.23 × 1024

Calculated using the equation E = 3NkBT, where E is the Young’s modulus, kB is the Boltzmann constant, and T is the temperature in kelvin (considered 300 K).[32]

Scheme 3

Synthetic Scheme for the Preparation of Cured P0–PU, P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU Free-Standing Films

All of the PUs obtained from pristine HTPB (P0–PU) or modified HTPBs (P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU) obtained using THF as the solvent media neither showed any significant deviations in thermal profile (Figure ) or in Tg (Figure ), whereas, a remarkable deviation was noticed in the tensile properties (Figure ) and thermomechanical properties. It was observed that on increasing the methylene group between HTPB and tetrazole ring, elongation at break (εb), tensile strength (σb), and storage modulus vary. It is also observed that, in the case of P3–PU, where HTPB and tetrazole moiety are apart by three methylene groups, all of the mechanical properties parameters σb, εb, and storage modulus were superior as compared to all of the other PUs (Table ).

Figure 2

Thermogram of P0–PU, P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU.

Figure 3

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms of P0–PU, P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU. Vertical lines indicate the Tg values.

Figure 4

(A) Stress vs strain graph of P0–PU synthesized in various solvent media. (B) Stress vs strain graph of P0–PU, P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU synthesized using THF as the solvent.

In our previous report,[24] we successfully demonstrated that hydrogen bonding governs the simultaneous enhancement of σb and εb in the case of terminal functionalized HTPB-based PU. In the present report, we propose that the strength of hydrogen bonding will be more effective by suitably placing the nitrogen-rich moiety, which, in turn, influences the packing of urethane network in the PU matrix and leads to improved mechanical properties. To support our hypothesis, we performed several characterizations including FT-IR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

The incorporation of small amounts of organic molecules or ionic species into the PU backbone strongly affects the solid-state surface or the bulk properties. The incorporation results in additional structural features such as microphase-separated structures and/or phase-separated segmented polyurethanes. These structural features depend on the molecular weight, the chemical properties of soft and hard segments, and the processing environment during curing process to turn in solid state. Hence, the structural feature influences the final solid state properties such as tensile properties, elongation, elastomeric character, and thermal transitions.

Thermal Studies

Thermograms of P0–PU films obtained in different solvents (Table ) did not show any significant difference as shown in the Supporting Information (Figure S1). Even the thermograms of P0–PU, P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU were similar in nature, as represented in Figure . It shows two-stage degradations, with the first signs of degradation starting from 260 °C to around 310 °C with less than 12% mass loss, which is quite consistent and corresponds to the urethane linkage degradation. In the second step, the process of mass loss, due to the degradation of polymer backbone, starts at 310 °C. However, at 490 °C, almost 97% of the total mass degrades.

Because thermal stability (Figure ) did not reveal any significant differences in PUs, we decided to investigate the solvent effect on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the PUs, which provides better insights into the segmental mixing and microphase separation. For measuring Tg, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments were performed under nitrogen atmosphere using a temperature ramp from −100 to 50 °C at a heating rate of 10 °C/min. All of the five P0–PUs samples (obtained in different solvent media as shown in Table ) have Tg value at −76.0 °C as shown in the Supporting Information (Figure S2). The Tg values of P(0–3)–PUs are also obtained approximately at −76.0 °C (Figure ) and are in well agreement with earlier reported values in literature.[26] Hence, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and DSC studies conclude that neither solvent nor functionalization of HTPB affects the thermal stability or segmental motion of PUs based on HTPB.

Mechanical Properties

Mechanical property (tensile) is the most remarkable and crucial property of elastomeric PUs that decides the type of applications of PUs. Hence, several research groups across the globe have been engaged to find a method to control the tensile property of the PU materials. Tensile strength (σb) and elongation at break (εb) obtained from stress vs strain plots predict the overall mechanical properties of an elastomer. There are multiple ways by which either σb or εb can be enhanced. For instant, stoichiometric imbalance between the diisocyanate (−NCO) and diol (−OH) often results in the enhancement of σb; on the other hand, increasing the soft segment or decreasing the hard segment results in a higher εb.[36,37] Generally, on increasing the mole ratio (r) of −NCO/–OH, σb increases and εb decreases.[29,37] Hence, there is always a great degree of challenge in finding a way to simultaneously increase σb and εb in the PU materials. A clear picture of tensile properties of P(0–3)–PU can be realized from the data shown in Table . σb and εb values were obtained from stress vs strain plot as shown in Figure and are tabulated along with toughness, Young’s modulus (E), and effective cross-linking (N).

We investigated the effect of solvent (which is used to make PU) on the tensile properties of the PUs, for which we considered nonpolar solvents such as hexane and toluene (entries 1 and 2 of Table ) and polar solvents such as dichloromethane (DCM), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and dioxane (entries 3–5 of Table ). The most interesting observation is that solvents such as tetrahydrofuran and dioxane imparted much higher εb values when compared to rest of the solvents, but both σb and εb simultaneously and significantly increased in tetrahydrofuran (Figure A). Hence, it was preferred to synthesize PUs of the modified HTPBs (P1, P2, and P3) using THF as the solvent. Figure B represents the stress–strain plot of P0–PU, P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU obtained using THF as the solvent; it was noticed that by increasing the methylene group between HTPB and tetrazole ring, the tensile properties such as σb, εb, toughness, Young’s modulus, and effective cross-linking vary. Stress–strain plot clearly proves that the PU obtained from tetrazole-modified HTPBs (P(1–3)–PU) displayed better tensile properties as compared to P0–PU, the comprehensive data are provided in Table . Enhanced tensile property in PUs based on tetrazole-modified HTPBs resulted due to stronger hydrogen-bonding interactions, which lead to better packing of the urethane network in the PU matrix. Our hypothesis is further conformed with FT-IR spectroscopy and SEM cross-sectional images and discussed in detail in the following sections.

Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is a thermomechanical analysis technique and used to characterize the rheological properties of PUs by subjecting PUs to periodic loading under a specific range of temperatures. In DMA, a sinusoidal stress is applied and the resultant strain is measured. Properties measured under this oscillating loading are storage modulus (E′), which represents the stiffness of the material and is proportional to the energy stored during a loading cycle, and tan δ, referred to as the mechanical damping. Figure A represents the storage modulus (E′) as a function of temperature for P(0–3)–PUs. Storage modulus values for all the four PUs at −100 °C are in the range of 2.4–1.4 GPa and decrease with increase in temperature. At −60 °C, the storage modulus values for all the four PUs are in the range of 0.045–0.025 GPa, indicating the rubbery state of PUs. At −100 °C, P3–PU displayed the highest storage modulus (2.4 GPa), whereas P1–PU (1.45 GPa) had the lowest value among the four PUs. The decreasing order of storage modulus of all the four PUs is P3–PU, P0–PU, P2–PU, and P1–PU. Figure B presents the tan δ curves as a function of temperature for P(0–3)–PUs. The tan δ peak height of P1–PU is 0.92 at −70 °C, that of P2–PU and P3–PU is 0.78 at −60 °C, and that of P0–PU is 0.87 at −60 °C. This signifies that the Tg values of P1–PU is −70 °C and that of P0–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU are −60 °C.

Figure 5

Dynamic mechanical analysis plots of P(0–3)–PU. (A) Storage modulus (E′) vs temperature and (B) tan δ vs temperature.

Spectroscopic and Morphological Studies of PUs

The formation of urethanes in P(0–3)–PUs was confirmed by the appearance of −NH vibration at 3365 and 3335 cm–1 for P0–PU and P(1–3)–PUs, respectively in FT-IR spectra (Supporting Information, Figure S3). A 30 cm–1 shift in the −NH vibration in P(1–3)–PUs as compared to P0–PU indicates a stronger N–H bond in P(1–3)–PU due to the presence intramolecular interactions. A detail analysis of the vibrational frequency region between 1760 and 1680 cm–1 corresponding to carbonyl (C=O) group reveals valuable information for understanding the strength of hydrogen bonds.[38−41] Wilkes and co-worker[38] demonstrated that the presence of medium to strong hydrogen bonding in the PUs based on IPDI displays sharp peaks at 1695 and 1685 cm–1 in the FT-IR spectroscopy. Figure presents the FT-IR spectra of P(0–3)–PUs films between 1760 and 1680 cm–1. It is observed that all the four PUs displayed peaks at 1715 cm–1, which corresponds to free carbonyl group, and 1695 cm–1, which represents the carbonyl groups involved in intermolecular hydrogen bonding. However, the peak at 1685 cm–1 is absent in P0–PU because P0–PU structurally lacks any short intramolecular hydrogen bonding as shown schematically in Scheme .

Figure 6

FT-IR spectra of P0–PU, P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU films.

Scheme 4

Schematic Representation of Hydrogen-Bonding Interactions among PU Domains

When the tetrazole moiety and HTPB chain are separated by one methylene group as in the case of P1–PU case, there is only one possible way of forming intramolecular bonding between the hydrogen atom of tertrazole moiety and the oxygen atom of the carbonyl group (represented using a rectangular box in Scheme ). However, when the tetrazole moiety and HTPB chain are separated by three flexible methylene group (indicated using a square box in Scheme ) as in P3–PU, there are two possible ways of forming intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Strength of  intramolecular hydrogen-bonding in P2–PU will behave as an intermediate strength of P1–PU and P3–PU. Hence, the vibrational frequency at 1695 cm–1 (corresponding to intermolecular hydrogen bonding) is observed in all the four PUs among the domains in the PU matrix and 1685 cm–1 peak (corresponding to intramolecular hydrogen bonding) does not appear in P0–PU and the sharpness of the peak increases with increasing strength of the intramolecular hydrogen bonding, reaching highest in the case of P3–PU. Therefore, the strength of hydrogen bonding will govern the orientations of urethane network in the PU matrix and will follow the order P3–PU > P2–PU > P1–PU > P0–PU, further confirmed using cross-sectional morphological studies as discussed below.

The FT-IR analysis of the PU films suggests an increase in the strength of hydrogen bonding, which may influence the packing of urethane network in the PU matrix. Hence, to confirm our conjecture, we have performed field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) experiment by recoding the images of the frozen fracture cross section of PU films. Figure represents the FESEM images of 10 μm scale of all the four PUs. The presence of morphological difference is clearly visible, with increase in flexible methylene groups between tetrazole moiety and HTPB backbone resulting in increase in the strength of hydrogen bonding in PU matrix, which, in turn, results in a well-ordered packing pattern. It is clearly seen from the images in Figure that the strength of hydrogen bond is maximum for P3–PU as compared to rest of the three PU films, formed a well ordered arrangement of PU domains which keep on diminishing as we move to P2–PU and then P1–PU while P0–PU shows no such features. Hence, FT-IR and morphological studies clearly attributed the stronger packing in the case of P3–PU which helps in resulting better tensile properties as discussed in earlier section.

Figure 7

FESEM micrographs of frozen fracture cross section of PUs of 10 μm scale. (a) P0–PU, (b) P1–PU, (c) P2–PU, and (d) P3–PU.

Calorimetric Study

The overall energy content of the samples was measured using oxygen bomb adiabatic calorimeter by combusting the samples in the presence of oxygen in a sealed bomb. Oxygen bomb calorimetric measurements were performed on pristine and modified HTPB (P0, P1, P2, and P3), as well as the corresponding PU films (P0–PU, P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU). Each sample was performed three times and its average was taken. The gross heat of combustion was measured according to procedures outlined in ASTM D2382-8830. Table summarizes these test result values of energy content. The measured heat of combustion for HTPB is in agreement with the published values.[42] Tetrazole-modified HTPBs (P(1–3)) have higher heat of combustion values as compared to pristine HTPB (P0), confirming the attachment of tetrazoles by replacing the hydrogen of the terminal carbon of HTPB. Because nitrogen-rich molecules tend to be energetic materials and the increasing order of nitrogen percentage in tetrazole molecules is M1 > M2 > M3, which reflected an increasing value of heat of combustion in the order P1 > P2 > P3. Similar trend was observed even with the PU obtained from HTPB (P0–PU) and modified HTPBs [P(1–3)–PU].

Table 3

Calorimetric Results of P(0–3) and P(0–3)–PUs as Obtained from Oxygen Bomb Calorimetry

sample	P0	P1	P2	P3	P0–PU	P1–PU	P2–PU	P3–PU
heat of combustion (cal/g)	10513	12456	11689	11387	10567	11325	11065	10657

Conclusions

In conclusion, three homologous series of tetrazole molecules have been synthesized and successfully coupled at the terminal carbons of HTPB. Modification of HTPB with tertazoles at the terminal carbon has displayed an increase in energy content without altering the physicochemical properties. HTPB and modified HTPBs were coupled with IPDI in various organic solvents to obtain the respective PUs. It has been observed that solvents played a negligible role in the thermal profile or Tg, but they remarkably affect the tensile properties. Optimized tensile properties have been obtained when THF was used as the solvent media for polymerization. In modified HTPBs, on increasing the methylene group between the tetrazole and HTPB, the strength of hydrogen bonding increases, leading to better packing of the urethane network in the PU matrix and hence displaying significant enhancement in mechanical properties.

Experimental Section

Materials

Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) was received as a gift sample from HEMRL, Pune, India, and dried under vacuum before performing experiments. The HTPB sample has the following physical characteristics: number average molecular weight (Mn = 6845), polydispersity index (PDI) is 1.82, viscosity at 30 °C is 5370 cP, and hydroxyl value is 42.27 mg KOH/g. Chloroacetonitrile, 3-chloropropionitrile, 4-chlorobutyronitrole, sodium hydride (NaH), isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), and dibutyltin dilaurate (DBTDL), deuterated dimethylsulfoxide, and deuterated chloroform were received from Sigma-Aldrich and used as received. Sodium azide, aluminum chloride, ethyl acetate, hexane, toluene, dioxane, dichloromethane, methanol, tetrahydrofuran, and hydrochloric acid were purchased from Finar Limited, India. The solvents were distilled before use. THF was dried by ketyl radical process using sodium/benzophenone before use. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) grade THF was used for GPC experiment and obtained from Merck.

General Procedure for the Synthesis of 5-(Chloroalkyl)-1H-tetrazole, M(1–3)

In a two-neck round-bottom flask equipped with reflux condenser under nitrogen atmosphere, anhydrous aluminum chloride (8.9 g, 66.66 mmol) was dissolved in portions under stirring and cooling in 100 mL of anhydrous THF. Then, sodium azide (13 g, 200 mmol) was added in portions and the mixture heated to 60–65 °C over a period of 2 h and cooled to room temperature. Chloroalkylnitrile (66.66 mmol) was added to the reaction mixture, which was refluxed for 24–28 h (Scheme ). The progress of the reaction was monitored by thin-layer chromatography following the disappearance of chloroalkylnitrile. The reaction mixture was allowed to cool to room temperature and the solvent distilled off. The residue was treated with dilute hydrochloric acid (pH 2), and the mixture was repeatedly extracted with ethyl acetate. The extract was dried over sodium sulfate and the solvent was evaporated under reduced pressure. The residue was purified by column chromatography using hexane-ethyl acetate. 1H NMR spectra of M1, M2, and M3 are shown in Figure . 13C NMR spectra of M1, M2, and M3 are presented in Figures S4–S6.

5-(Chloromethyl)-1H-tetrazole (M1)

Yield 63%. Mp 88 °C. 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ 5.09 (s, 2H); 13C NMR (125 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ 155.27, 33.03. HRMS-ESI(+) calcd for C2H3ClN4: 119.0104, found, 119.0101 [M + H]+. IR (KBr, cm–1) 3440, 2983, 1770, 1582, 1265, 996, 907, 714.

5-(2-Chloroethyl)-1H-tetrazole (M2)

Yield 58%. Mp 65 °C. 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ 3.97 (t, J = 6.5 Hz, 2H), 3.37 (t, J = 6.5 Hz, 2H); 13C NMR (125 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ 154.08, 42.35, 27.20. HRMS-ESI(+) calcd for C2H3ClN4: 133.0288, found, 133.0284 [M + H]+. IR (KBr, cm–1) 3430, 2966, 1757, 1577, 1252, 996, 912, 713.

5-(3-Chloropropyl)-1H-tetrazole (M3)

Yield 65%. Mp 52 °C. 1H NMR (400 MHz, DMSO-d6): δ 3.73 (t, J = 6.4 Hz, 2H), 3.02 (t, 2H), 2.21–2.13 (m, 2H). 13C NMR (125 MHz, DMSO): δ 155.40, 45.21, 30.61, 20.39. HRMS-ESI(+) calcd for C2H3ClN4: 147.0437, found, 147.0436 [M + H]+. IR (KBr, cm–1) 3433, 2978, 1793, 1580, 1257, 991, 913, 713.

General Procedure for the Synthesis of Tetrazole-Functionalized HTPB: P(1–3)

Modified HTPBs were obtained by attaching the 5-(chloroalkyl)-1H-tetrazole M(1–3) at the terminal carbon of HTPB to obtain HTPB-M1 (P1), HTPB-M2 (P2), and HTPB-M3 (P3), respectively, as shown in Scheme . For the modification of HTPB, we adapted our previously reported procedure.[24] The brief procedure for the synthesis of HTPB-tetrazole is as follows: HTPB (1 mmol) was taken in a three-neck round-bottom flask under nitrogen atmosphere and dissolved in anhydrous THF and stirred at room temperature for 20 min. To this, sodium hydride (NaH) (2.5 mmol) was added and stirred for 10 min, followed by the addition of 5-(chloroalkyl)-1H-tetrazole (2.5 mmol) and continuous stirring at room temperature for the next 24 h. Then, the liquid layer was decanted off and the solvent evaporated under vacuum. The reaction mixture was washed thoroughly with methanol to remove the unreacted monomers and dried over vacuum. It was observed that modified HTPBs P(1–3) were less viscous as compared to pristine HTPB (P0), but the viscosity of the modified HTPBs increased with increase in the methylene groups between tetrazole moiety and HTPB. The physical characteristics of the resultant modified HTPBs P(1–3) along with P0 are listed in Table . The 1H NMR spectra of P0, P1, M2, and M3 are shown in Figure S7.

General Procedure for the Synthesis of Polyurethanes

In a two-neck round-bottom flask, prepolymer (P(0–3)) (1.0 mmol) was dissolved in 30 mL of anhydrous THF at room temperature under continuous flow. To this, calculated mole amount (maintaining the ratio of −NCO/–OH at 1:1, based on equivalents calculated from the hydroxyl values of prepolymers) of diisocyanates (IPDI) was added and the mixture stirred for 30 min at room temperature for homogeneous mixing. The polymerization was triggered by adding catalytic amount of DBTDL and stirred for next 3 h. The progress of the polymerization was monitored by FT-IR spectroscopy till the peak at 2270 cm–1 disappeared (corresponding to isocyanate). A homogeneous viscous solution obtained was then transferred to a Petri dish (precoated with silicone-releasing agent) for curing at 60 °C for 120 h to obtain free-standing films (P0–PU, P1–PU, P2–PU, and P3–PU) as shown in Scheme .

Characterization Techniques

Spectroscopic Analysis

1H NMR and 13C NMR for M(1–3) were recorded using 400 MHz NMR (Bruker) spectrometer. High-resolution mass spectra were recorded using HRMS Maxis (Bruker). Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra were measured at ambient condition in both transmittance and absorbance mode at a wavenumber ranges 4000–600 cm–1 using a FT-IR spectrometer (Nicolet 5700).

Determination of Molecular Weight

Gel permeation chromatography (GPC, Waters 515 HPLC) connected with a RI detector (Waters 2414) was used for determining the molecular weights of P(0–3) using THF (HPLC grade) as the mobile phase. Narrow molecular weight distribution polystyrene standards (Polymer Standards Service) with the polydispersity index ≤1.1 were used for calibration before the GPC molecular weight measurement of P(0–3). The samples were prepared to an approximate concentration of 3.0 mg/mL and injected in GPC column (Styragel HR2 THF) with a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min.

Determination of Hydroxyl Value and Viscosity

The hydroxyl values of P(0–3) were determined by acetylation method, which involves the replacement of the hydrogen on a hydroxyl group of HTPB by acetyl group. Viscosity measurements were performed using Rotoviscometer (Rheolab QC-180) with the measuring system CC10, connected to a temperature controller (Anton Paar). Viscosities were measured the over shear rate of 100–300 s–1 at 30 °C.

Bomb Calorimetry

The heat of combustion of P(0–3) and P(0–3)–PU was determined using a Parr (series 1425) semi-micro-oxygen bomb calorimeter. The substances were burned in an oxygen atmosphere at a pressure of 3.04 MPa. Before performing the experiment, the instrument was calibrated with standard reference sample of benzoic acid (SRM 39i, NIST). Because a Parr 45C10 alloy fuse wire was used, a correction of 2.3 (IT) cal/cm of wire burned has been applied in all of the standardization and calorific value determinations. After performing the experiment, the bomb was examined for evidence of unburned substance after each run; if any traces of substance were found, the run was discarded.

Mechanical Studies

Thermomechanical properties of the PU films were analyzed using a dynamic mechanical analyser (DMA, TA Instruments Q-800) fitted with a film tension clamp. The temperature range was varied from −100 to 50 °C with a ramping rate of 3 °C/min at a frequency of 1 Hz. No preheating cycle was applied. The storage modulus and tan δ were recorded as a function of temperature. The glass transition temperature (Tg) was determined from the position of the maximum (peak) on the tan δ vs temperature plot. For the DMA analysis, the specimens were cut to rectangular dimension (10 × 4 × 0.5 mm3). The tensile strength measurements (stress–strain relationship) were performed at ambient condition using universal testing machine (5965-5 kN, Instron) using a strain rate of 1 mm/min. Dumb-bell-shaped specimens were cut following the ASTM standard D653 (Type V specimen).

Microscopic Study

The cross-sectional morphology of the PU samples was recorded using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM, Carl Zeiss ultra55 model) instrument operated at 5 kV. The films were dipped in liquid nitrogen and then fractured to keep the structure intact, followed by placing the fractured portion vertically in the SEM sample holder. The samples were coated with gold before capturing the SEM images.

Thermal Studies

Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was performed under nitrogen atmosphere in a TA Q600SDT TG-DTA instrument in the temperature range of 30–700 °C with a heating of 10 °C/min. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) measurements were performed with a Mettler-Toledo DSC-2C instrument equipped with a liquid nitrogen subambient accessory. To ensure reproducibility, the liquid nitrogen reservoir was filled 2 h before calibration and maintained approximately three-fourths level throughout the measurement. The temperature scale was calibrated against mercury (234.28 K) and indium (429.78 K) at a scan rate of 5 °C/min. The samples were scanned from −100 to 40 °C.