Cationic comb polymer superdispersants for colloidal silica suspensions

We investigate the ability of a cationic comb polymer composed of a poly(trimethylammonium iodide ethyl methacrylate) (PTMAM) backbone and uncharged poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) teeth to stabilize aqueous silica suspensions of varying ionic strength and pH. Both PTMAM-g-PEG and its homopolymer backbone, PTMAM, are synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer followed by quaternization of the pendant amine groups with methyl iodide. Through a combination of polymer adsorption, zeta potential, and sedimentation measurements as well as confocal imaging of sediment structures, we find that PTMAM-g-PEG imparts stability over a broad range of solution conditions, where pure PTMAM fails.