Environmentally benign graphite intercalation compound composition for exfoliated graphite, flexible graphite, and nano-scaled graphene platelets

1. 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.

2. The carboxylic-intercalated graphite compound of claim 1 wherein said carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of saturated aliphatic carboxylic acids of the formula H(CH 2 ) n COOH, wherein n is a number of from 0 to 5, including formic, acetic, propionic, butyric, pentanoic, and hexanoic acids, anhydrides thereof, reactive carboxylic acid derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.

3. 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 with interlayer spaces or interstices and a carboxylic acid residing in at least one of said interstices, prepared by an electrochemical reaction which uses a carboxylic acid as both an electrolyte and an intercalate source, wherein said carboxylic acid comprises a member other than formic acid wherein the layered graphite is selected from graphite fiber, graphitic nano-fiber, graphite fluoride, or a combination thereof, and 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 2-10 carbon atoms, alkyl esters thereof, anhydrides thereof and combinations thereof and wherein reintercalation of the compound one time with the carboxylic acid yields nano graphene plates having an average thickness less than 30 nm.

4. A carboxylic-intercalated graphite compound composition for the production of exfoliated graphite, flexible graphite, or nano-scaled graphene platelets, said composition consisting of a layered graphite having interlayer spaces or interstices and a carboxylic acid residing in at least one of said interstices, wherein said composition is prepared by an electrochemical reaction which uses a carboxylic acid as an electrolyte and as an intercalate source and wherein said layered graphite material is selected from graphite fiber, graphitic nano-fiber, graphite fluoride, exfoliated graphite, or a combination thereof 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 and wherein reintercalation of the compound one time with the carboxylic acid yields nano graphene plates having an average thickness less than 30 nm.

5. The carboxylic-intercalated graphite compound of claim 3 wherein the layered graphite is selected from synthetic graphite, highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, graphite fiber, graphitic nano-fiber, graphite oxide, graphite fluoride, chemically modified graphite, exfoliated graphite, or a combination thereof.

6. The carboxylic-intercalated graphite compound of claim 5 wherein carboxylic acid is 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, and combinations thereof.

7. The carboxylic-intercalated graphite compound of claim 6 wherein said carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic, propionic, butyric, pentanoic, and hexanoic acids, anhydrides thereof, and combinations thereof.

8. The carboxylic-intercalated graphite compound of claim 4 wherein said carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of acetic, propionic, butyric, pentanoic, and hexanoic acids, anhydrides thereof, reactive carboxylic acid derivatives thereof, and combinations thereof.