Substrates with modified carbon surfaces in composites

A thermoplastic comprising a thermoplastic polymer and the reaction product of (a) a solid form of carbon and (b) a reactant of the structure

• X1X2C═CX3X4, FORMULA I
• or the structure
• X1C(H)═O FORMULA II
• wherein X1, X2, X3 and X4 are independently selected from H, an alkyl of 1 to 4 carbons, or an electron withdrawing group, wherein at least one of X1, X2, X3 and X4 is a known electron withdrawing group, said electron withdrawing groups being characterized by having a σp>0. where σp is the log(K′/K0′) where K′ is the equilibrium constant for the ionization of a para substituted benzoic acid with the particular group and K0′ is the equilibrium constant for the ionization of benzoic acid in water at 25° C.

A rubber composition comprising:

• a) at least 30 parts per hundred rubber (phr) of a rubber having at least 30 weight percent of repeating units derived from polymerizing one or more conjugated diene monomers,
• b) at least 20 phr of the reaction product of (a) a solid form of carbon and (b) a reactant of the structure
• X1X2C═CX3X4, FORMULA I
• or the structure
• X1C(H)═O FORMULA II
• wherein X1, X2, X3 and X4 are independently selected from H, an alkyl of 1 to 4 carbons, or an electron withdrawing group, wherein at least one of X1, X2, X3 and X4 is a known electron withdrawing group, said electron withdrawing group's being characterized by having a σp>0. where σp is the log(K′/K0′) where K′ is the equilibrium constant for the ionization of a para substituted benzoic acid with the particular group and K0′ is the equilibrium constant for the ionization of benzoic acid in water at 25° C. and
• c) at least about 0.5 phr of a coupler for said solid form of carbon, said coupler having an amine group, a carbonyl group and either a thiol group or polysulfidic linkage.