Surface modification of carbon black by thiol-ene click reaction for improving dispersibility in aqueous phase

Carbon black (CB) particles were firstly encapsulated by γ-Methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MEMO) using a sol-gel method and then grafted with sodium 3-Mercapto-1-propanesulfonate (MPS) via thiol-ene click reaction. Morphology characterization reveals that modified CB particles have a core-shell structure. Element composition and chemical status derived from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results prove the grafting of MPS molecules. Moreover, the crystal structure and thermal behavior of modified CB particles were characterized by Raman spectra and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curves, respectively. The modified CB particles exhibit excellent self-dispersing ability in aqueous media and the dispersion has high thermal and centrifugal stability. This research provides a new insight into the preparation of inkjet printing ink with excellent stability.