Water-Dispersible Carbon Black Nanocomposites Prepared by Surface-Initiated Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization in Protic Media

The synthesis of hydrophilic carbon black composites by grafting 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) from functionalized carbon black using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is reported. The polymerizations were performed in methanol/water mixtures near ambient temperatures using CuBr/CuBr 2 /2,2‘-bipyridine as the catalytic system. Under acidic conditions or upon quaternization with ethyl bromide, the polymer-bound carbon black can form stable dispersions in water. TGA, light scattering, and AFM were used to characterize the polymer bound carbon black. 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) was random and block copolymerized with DMAEMA to form functional carbon black nanocomposites.