Front Cover: Macromol. Rapid Commun. 14/2005

Abstract

Front Cover: Carbon spheres were covalently functionalized with polymers by using an in situ atom transfer radical polymerization approach, resulting in significantly improved dispersibility in organic solvents. SEM and TEM observations show a uniform distribution of the carbon spheres in the continuous polymer phase. Further details can be found in the Communication by Y. Z. Jin, C. Gao,* H. W. Kroto, and T. Maekawa on page 1133.

Polymer‐Grafted Modification of Activated Carbon by Surface‐Initiated AGET ATRP

“…The results indicated that there were ≈3.4 initiator moieties per 1000 carbons or 0.268 mmol per gram of AC attached to the AC surface. This result was similar to that of carbon spheres and lower than that of carbon nanotubes 22, 31, 32. The decomposition temperature was increased to ≈350 °C after the SI‐AGET ATRP of MMA.…”

“…The difference in weight loss between AC@OFG and AC@Br was 4%, consistent with the attachment of 2‐methylpropionyl bromide groups on the AC surface, as shown in Scheme . The results indicated that physically or noncovalently attached chemicals could be removed from the resulting product by careful washing 22. Thus, the initiator concentration could be calculated from the 4% weight loss difference before and after introduction of the initiator.…”

“…There are several methods in the literature to introduce the initiator on the surface. The most frequently used methods are based on oxidation of the carbon surface to introduce carboxylic groups, followed by post‐functionalization 11, 22. In this work, (NH 4 ) 2 S 2 O 8 was employed as the oxidizer because of the high concentration of hydroxyl and carboxylic groups that can be introduced onto AC surfaces under moderate conditions 3.…”

“…So far, polymers with controlled structures and functional side groups can be grafted on various surfaces by SI‐ATRP 10, 16–20. The surfaces of carbon‐based materials such as carbon nanotubes, carbon black, and carbon spheres have already been effectively adjusted in a controlled way using SI‐ATRP 10, 21–26. Unexpectedly modification of AC surface by SI‐ATRP has rarely been reported, the only example we know is the modification of AC with poly(hydroxyethyl acrylate) (PHEA) by Liu and Wang 11.…”

Modification of carbon black through grafting multihydroxyl hyperbranched polyether onto its surface

“…Carbon materials include carbon nanotubes, carbon sphere, carbon black, and carbon fibers, and have being extensively applied to many fields. To broaden their ranges of applications, the method of grafting polymers onto their surfaces1–3 is adopted. Carbon black is used widely as pigment in the coating4 and ink5 industry, and as reinforcing agent in the rubber industry,6 because it has excellent properties, such as chemical, heat resistance, and electroconductivity, etc.…”