Patent ID: 8753539

Claim:
A carboxylic-intercalated and hydrogen peroxide-oxidized graphite compound composition for the production of exfoliated graphite, flexible graphite, or nano-scaled graphene platelets, said composition consisting of a layered graphite selected from the group consisting of graphite fiber, graphitic nano-fiber, graphite fluoride, or a combination thereof; the layered graphite having interlayer spaces or interstices and a carboxylic acid residing in at least one of said interstices, wherein the carboxylic acid is an environmentally benign carboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of aromatic carboxylic acid, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic carboxylic acid, straight chain or branched chain carboxylic acid, saturated and unsaturated monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids and polycarboxylic acids that have 1-10 carbon atoms, alkyl esters thereof, anhydrides thereof and combinations thereof, said intercalated compound is prepared by a chemical oxidation reaction which uses a combination of the carboxylic acid and hydrogen peroxide as an intercalate source wherein the combination consists of a mixture of a carboxylic acid and hydrogen peroxide at a weight ratio of about 100:1 to 100:50 and wherein reintercalation of the compound one time with the carboxylic acid yields nanographene plates having an average thickness less than 30 nm.