Synergetic effect of dopamine and alkoxysilanes in sustainable non-isocyanate polyurethane adhesives

The preparation of non‐isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs) by polyaddition of (poly)cyclic carbonates to (poly)amines represents one of the most optimistic alternatives for replacing conventional polyurethanes prepared by the toxic isocyanate chemistry. However, the limited reactivity of conventional five membered cyclic carbonates even in the presence of catalysts restricts their industrial implementation. One way to mitigate this lack of reactivity is to combine with other chemistries to create hybrid‐NIPUs with superior performance. In this article the combination of the adhesive promoter, dopamine, and the fast‐curing promoter, an aminopropyl trimethoxysilane, is found to create a synergetic effect on the rheological and adhesive properties of NIPUs. After demonstrating the importance of adjusting soft/hard ratios to obtain lap‐shear strength adhesion values up to 21 MPa on stainless steel, these values are retained when adding dopamine and silane compounds. Importantly, the adhesive properties of NIPU are preserved at high temperature (T > 200 °C) for optimal compositions. Finally, adhesion tests on various substrates (polyamide, high density polyethylene, poly(methyl methacrylate), oak wood, and aluminum) show best performances on polar substrates confirming the strong interactions of hydroxyl groups of NIPU and dopamine.