Preparation and characterization of poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)-decorated hydrophilic carbon black by one-step in situ ball milling

• Highly hydrophilic CB nanoparticles were prepared by one-step in situ ball milling.
• The resulting PCBs exhibited an extraordinary stability in water.
• The internal structure of CB could be seriously changed with the existence of PSS.
• Large CB aggregations could be broken into small pieces with the existence of PSS.

A one-step method for preparing poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)-decorated hydrophilic carbon black (CB), via in situ peeling of large CB aggregates into small pieces at room temperature, was investigated. The Raman spectroscopy results indicated that ball milling could only break large CB aggregates into small pieces but without changing its structure, while the structure of CB was significantly changed with the existence of PSS. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and natural sedimentation experimental all showed that the CB was successfully coated by PSS and yielded an excellent stability in water. The backbones of PSS were coated onto the CB surface under strong π–π interactions with an encapsulation ratio of 12.7 wt%. The resulting PSS-decorated CB displayed an extraordinary stability in water with an average size of 221 nm and zeta potential of −33.8 mV, far outstripping the pristine CB and ball milled CB without PSS.

Natural sedimentation in water of (a) 0 day after (b) 30 min after (c) 15 days after (d) inversed bottle of PCBs Ball milling without PSS could only make large CB aggregations loose, leading to the sedimentation of BCBs to the bottom slower than the pristine CB. With the existence of the PSS, the modified CB exhibited excellent dispersity and stability in water for at least 15 days.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide