Method of manufacturing electrophoretic particle, electrophoretic particle, electrophoretic dispersion, electrophoretic sheet, electrophoretic device, and electronic apparatus

1. A method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle, in which the electrophoretic particle includes a particle having a first functional group on the surface thereof and a block copolymer bonded to the particle, comprising:

polymerizing a first monomer having a site contributing to dispersibility into a dispersion medium, a second monomer including a second functional group having reactivity with the first functional group, and a positively or negatively-charged third monomer by living polymerization without random copolymerizing the first monomer and the second monomer so as to obtain the block copolymer; and

reacting the first functional group and the second functional group to connect the block copolymer to the particle,

wherein the first monomer is a silicone macromonomer represented by the following general formula (I):

wherein in the formula (I), R represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R′ represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, n represents an integer of 0 or more, and x represents an integer of 1 to 3.

2. The method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the block copolymer is formed such that a dispersing section in which the first monomer is polymerized, a bonding section in which the second monomer is polymerized, and a charging section in which the third monomer is polymerized are connected in this order.

3. The method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 2 ,

wherein, in the forming of the block copolymer, the dispersing section in which the first monomer is polymerized is formed, the bonding section in which the second monomer is polymerized is formed, and then the charging section in which the third monomer is polymerized is formed.

4. The method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the block copolymer is formed such that a dispersing section in which the first monomer is polymerized and a bonding•charging section in which the second monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized are connected with each other.

5. The method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 4 ,

wherein, in the forming of the block copolymer, the dispersing section in which the first monomer is polymerized is formed, and then the bonding•charging section in which the second monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized is formed.

6. The method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the block copolymer is formed such that a dispersing•charging section in which the first monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized and a bonding section in which the second monomer is polymerized are connected with each other.

7. The method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 6 ,

wherein, in the forming of the block copolymer, the dispersing•charging section in which the first monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized is formed, and then the bonding section, in which the second monomer is polymerized is formed.

8. The method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the block copolymer is formed such that a dispersing•charging section in which the first monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized and a bonding•charging section in which the second monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized are connected with each other.

9. The method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 8 ,

wherein, in the forming of the block copolymer, the dispersing•charging section in which the first monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized is formed, and then the bonding•charging section in which the second monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized is formed.

10. The method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 1 ,

wherein the living polymerization is living radical polymerization.

11. The method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 10 ,

wherein the living radical polymerization is reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization.

12. An electrophoretic particle, comprising:

a particle having a first functional group on the surface thereof; and

a block copolymer bonded to the particle,

wherein the block copolymer is formed by polymerizing a first monomer having a site contributing to dispersibility into a dispersion medium, a second monomer including a second functional group having reactivity with the first functional group, and a positively or negatively-charged third monomer without random copolymerizing the first monomer and the second monomer,

wherein, in the unit derived from the second monomer, the first functional group reacts with the second functional group to connect the plurality of block copolymers to the particle, and

wherein the first monomer is a silicone macromonomer represented by the following general formula (I):

wherein in the formula (I), R represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, R′ represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, n represents an integer of 0 or more, and x represents an integer of 1 to 3.

13. The electrophoretic particle according to claim 12 ,

wherein the block copolymer is configured such that a dispersing section in which the first monomer is polymerized, a bonding section in which the second monomer is polymerized, and a charging section in which the third monomer is polymerized are connected in this order.

14. The electrophoretic particle according to claim 12 ,

wherein the block copolymer is configured such that a dispersing section in which the first monomer is polymerized and a bonding•charging section in which the second monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized are connected with each other.

15. The electrophoretic particle according to claim 13 ,

wherein the block copolymer is configured such that the molecular weight distribution in the dispersing section is 1.2 or less.

16. The electrophoretic particle according to claim 15 ,

wherein the weight average molecular weight of the dispersing section is 10,000 to 100,000.

17. The electrophoretic particle according to claim 12 ,

wherein the molecular weight of the silicone chains located at a base end of the dispersing section, the base end being an end of the dispersing section that is connected to the bonding section, is smaller than the molecular weight of the silicone chains located at a front end of the dispersion section that is opposite to the base end.

18. The electrophoretic particle according to claim 12 ,

wherein the block copolymer is configured such that a dispersing•charging section in which the first monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized and a bonding section in which the second monomer is polymerized are connected with each other.

19. The electrophoretic particle according to claim 18 ,

wherein the bonding section is formed by polymerizing 2 to 12 repeat units derived from the second monomer.

20. The electrophoretic particle according to claim 12 ,

wherein the block copolymer is configured such that a dispersing•charging section in which the first monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized and a bonding•charging section in which the second monomer and the third monomer are copolymerized are connected with each other.

21. The electrophoretic particle according to claim 12 ,

wherein the silicone macromonomer has a molecular weight of 1,000 to 10,000.

22. An electrophoretic dispersion, comprising the electrophoretic particle manufactured by the method of manufacturing an electrophoretic particle according to claim 1 or the electrophoretic particle according to claim 12 .

23. An electrophoretic sheet, comprising:

a substrate; and

a plurality of structures which are disposed on the substrate and each of which contains the electrophoretic dispersion according to claim 22 .

24. An electrophoretic device, comprising:

the electrophoretic sheet according to claim 23 .

25. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

the electrophoretic device according to claim 24 .