TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metal catalyst is platinum.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preparation (Claimed): Preparation of (I) comprises subjecting a carbon material to react with a benzyne compound of formula (A).R1-R4 = R, OR, COR, COOR, OCOR, carboxylate salt, halo, CN, NR2, SO3H, sulfonic acid salt, NR(COR), CONR2, NO2, PO3H2, monobasic phosphonic acid salt, dibasic phosphonic acid salt, N=NR, N2+X-, NR3+X-, PR3+X-, SR, SO2NRR1a, SO2SR or SO2R;R, R1a = H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl or aralkyl; andX- = halide ion or anion derived from a mineral acid or an organic acid.Preferred Components: In (I), a value obtained by dividing a weight loss (% by mass) by a specific surface area (m2/g) of the carbon material is not more than 1.2x 10-3, the weight loss being a value when the temperature is raised from 150 to 250 degrees C at a rate of 10 degrees C/minute in a nitrogen gas atmosphere having a purity of 99.99% or more. The benzyne compound (A) is generated from a trifluoro-methanesulfonic acid 2-silanyl-phenyl ester compound of formula (B) as a precursor. (I) comprises an organic group derived from the benzyne at 0.1 mmole or more, preferably 0.2-5 mmoles per 1 g of the surface-modified carbon material. The carbon material is carbon black (preferred) or carbon nanotube. The specific surface area of the carbon material is 20-1000 (preferably 60-800) m2/g.R5-R7 = H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl or aralkyl.Preferred Process: In the preparation of (A), a fluoride ion is exerted on (B). EXAMPLE - Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid 2-(trimethylsilyl)-4-chlorobenzene (2.77 g) was dissolved in acetonitrile (100 ml). To this solution, ketjen black (EC600JD) (1 g) having a specific surface area of 800 m2/g, and cesium fluoride (2.54 g) were added. This mixture was stirred at 80 degrees C for 8 hours, and a precipitate was collected by filtration, washed with water and acetone and then dried in vacuum to obtain a surface-modified carbon material (1.15 g) that contained 3.9% of a chlorine atom.