Novel radiopaque iodinated poly(ether urethane) (IPEU) was prepared by using iodine-containing diol as chain extender in a normal two-step condensation polymerization process. This new iodine-containing diol was synthesized by iodination of terephthalic acid and then reaction with 3-amino-propanol. The chemical structure of the diol chain extender and IPEU was characterized, and the basic properties of IPEU were measured and compared with PEU. X-ray images showed that 15 wt % iodine-containing IPEUs were highly radiopaque, and radiopacity did not decrease after 6-week oxidative degradation treatment. Experimental results showed that IPEUs possessed good thermal stability, favorable mechanical properties, and noncytotoxicity. These results reveal that it is an effective route for the synthesis of biological polyurethane with radiopacity by using iodine-containing diol as chain extender. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 49: 2191-2198, 2011