Patent ID: 8287699

Claim:
A combined production-functionalization process for manufacturing a chemically functionalized nano graphene material directly from a pristine graphite material, comprising: (A) Dispersing said pristine graphite material and an azide or bi-radical compound in a liquid medium to form a suspension, wherein said pristine graphite material is selected from the group consisting of natural graphite, artificial graphite, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, carbon fiber, graphite fiber, carbon nano-fiber, graphitic nano-fiber, meso-carbon micro-bead, graphitized coke, and combinations thereof; (B) Subjecting said suspension to direct ultrasonication with ultrasonic waves of a desired intensity for a length of time sufficient to produce nano graphene platelets and to enable a chemical reaction to occur between said nano graphene platelets and said azide or bi-radical compound to produce said functionalized nano graphene material.