A method for treating a carbon allotrope including providing a carbon allotrope selected from the group consisting of carbon black, amorphous carbon, glassy carbon, graphite, graphene, fullerenes, or a mixture thereof; surface treating the carbon allotrope by coupling the carbon allotrope with a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane. Also described is a surface treated carbon allotrope having a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane coupled to the surface of the carbon allotrope. Also described is a coating composite for imaging components including a film forming resin; and a plurality of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane surface treated carbon allotrope particles substantially uniformly dispersed in the film forming resin, and imaging components including the coating composite.