NOVELTY - A carbon source is reacted with oxidizing agent to form carboxylic groups, alcohols, ketones or ethers on carbon surface. The formed groups are reacted with thionyl chloride, dimethylaminopyridine or reaction activator agent, followed by elimination of the agent and dried. The obtained material is reacted with polymerization initiator, filtered, washed and dried, reacted with monomers to enable growth of polymeric chains on carbon surface, and with acid such as sulfuric acid, and carbon functionalized with polymeric chains having ion exchange properties is obtained.    USE - Method for functionalizing carbon by growing polymeric chains with ion exchange properties for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications.    ADVANTAGE - The method provides carbon with improved ionic conductivity.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - A carbon source is reacted with oxidizing agent to form carboxylic groups, alcohols, ketones or ethers on the carbon surface, filtered, washed with water to eliminate the oxidizing agent until neutral pH and remove salts or other products formed by the reaction of the washed water to reagent Brucine. The activated support with oxidation agent such as nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide is used as support for electro catalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cell applications. The formed groups are reacted with thionyl chloride, dimethylaminopyridine or reaction activator agent, followed by elimination of the agent and its remaining solvent and the obtained material is dried. The obtained material is reacted with 4,4-azobiscyanovaleric acid or any polymerization initiator AZO agent, mixed, filtered, washed and dried. The dried material is reacted with monomers to enable growth of polymeric chains on the carbon surface, and with sulfuric acid or nitric acid and/or other acids to make the polymer proton conductor or exchanger. The carbon material is filtered and washed to obtain carbon functionalized with polymeric chains having ion exchange properties. The polymer is Nafion (RTM: sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene copolymer), polyaniline, polyacrylate, polymethylmethacrylate, sulfonated polyethylene, polyvinyl, polymaleic, polyglutamic, polyvinylamine, polyethylamine, polyvinyl-alkylpyridinium, polyvinylbenzyltrimethylammonium, polymaleic acid vinylalkylether, polymaleic acid alkene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyacetal, polycarbonate, polyethylene terephthalate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, styrene acrylonitrile or polybutylene terephthalate. The carbon source is carbon nanotube in colloidal form or other forms, derived from fullerene, graphite or carbon black. The oxidizing agent is nitric acid, hydrogen peroxide, ammonium persulfate, chloridic acid, sulfuric acid or other oxidizing agent such as peroxide, nitrate, bromate, chromate, chlorate, dichromate, perchlorate and/or permanganate, preferably nitric acid and/or hydrogen peroxide optionally dissolved in apolar solvent. The solvent is water and/or alcohol, benzene, toluene, nitrobenzene, dimethylformamide, chloroform and/or formaldehyde.