The introduction of amino and methylol groups onto furnace black or acetylene black by using electrophilic substitution reaction of polycondensed aromatic rings on the surface was investigated. The introduction of amino groups was achieved by the reduction of nitrated carbon black which was prepared by the treatment of carbon black with fuming nitric acid. Methylol groups were successfully introduced by the reaction of aromatic rings of the carbon black with formaldehyde in the presence of sodium hydroxide as catalyst. The amino and methylol groups introduced onto furnace black Philblack O were determined to be 0.04 and 0.12mmol/g, respectively. It was found that carbon black having amino groups has an ability to initiate the anionic polymerization of γ-methyl-
L-glutamate
N carboxyanhydride (NCA). In the polymerization, poly (amino acid) was grafted onto carbon black based on the propagation of the polymer from amino groups on the surface: the percentage of grafting reached to about 50%. Furthermore, the polymerization of acrylamide (AAm) was found to be initiated by a redox system consisting of ceric ion and methylol groups on the surface. In the polymerization, polyAAm was effectively grafted onto the surface because the polymerization was initiated by radicals formed on the surface by the redox reaction of methylol groups with ceric ion. Therefore, amino and methylol groups introduced by electrophilic substitution reaction were found to be available for the grafting of polymers onto carbon black having few functional group.
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