TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: (I) is obtained by a process consisting of: either (a) thermo-chemically splitting a carbon or graphite fiber into an aggregate of multiple interconnected or partially bonded fibrils, (b) separating the graphitic fibril from the aggregate, and (c) chemically functionalizing the fibril before, during, or after the separating step; or intercalating a carbon fiber or graphite fiber with an intercalating agent to form an intercalated fiber; thermally and/or chemically splitting or exfoliating the intercalated fiber to obtain a split fiber; mechanically separating the graphitic fibril from the split fiber; and chemically functionalizing the fibril before, during, or after the separating step; or intercalating a carbon fiber or graphite fiber with a supercritical fluid to form a tentatively intercalated fiber at a first temperature and a first pressure; exposing the tentatively intercalated fiber to a second temperature or a second pressure to obtain a split carbon or graphite fiber; mechanically isolating the graphitic fibril from the split fiber; and chemically functionalizing the fibril before, during, or after the isolating step. The step of introducing an intercalating agent is chemical intercalating, electrochemical intercalating, gaseous phase intercalating, liquid phase intercalating and/or supercritical fluid intercalating. The chemical intercalating comprises exposing the carbon fiber or graphite fiber to a chemical comprising sulfuric acid, sulfonic acid, nitric acid, a carboxylic acid, a metal chloride solution, a metal-halogen compound, halogen liquid or vapor, potassium permanganate, alkali nitrate, alkali perchlorate and/or an oxidizing agent. The electrochemical intercalating comprises using a carboxylic acid as both an electrolyte and an intercalating agent source. The step of activating comprises exposing the intercalated fiber to a temperature of 150-600 degrees C. The step of introducing an intercalating agent comprises using an acid as an intercalating agent and the step of activating comprises exposing the intercalated fiber to a temperature of 600-1100 degrees C. Preferred Components: (I) has a diameter or thickness of 200-500 nm; and a length of greater than 10 mu m. The functional group is a basic group or ammonium (NH4+) group; or an acid group or COOH- group. The functional group is an oxygenated group comprising hydroxyl, peroxide, ether, keto or aldehyde. The functional group is SO3H, COOH, NH2, OH, R1CHOH, CHO, CN, COCl, halide, COSH, SH, COOR1, SR1, SiR13, Si(-OR1-)yR13, Si(-O-SiR12-)OR1, R2, Li, A1R12, Hg-X, TiZ2 and/or Mg-X.y = less than or equal to 3;R1 = H, alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, aralkyl, cycloaryl or poly(alkylether);R2 = fluoroalkyl, fluoroaryl, fluorocycloalkyl, fluoroaralkyl or cycloaryl;X = halide; andZ = carboxylate or trifluoroacetate.(I) comprises at least 70 (preferably at least 95) wt.% carbon atoms arranged in a hexagon or graphene structure. (I) has an elongate axis and comprises a graphite single crystal having multiple layers of graphene plane parallel to the fibril elongate axis. (I) is prepared from a micron-diameter carbon fiber or graphite fiber having a diameter of greater than or equal to 6 mu m. The intercalating agent further penetrates an inter-graphene plane space. The metal-halogen compound or halogen liquid or vapor comprises a molecule comprising bromine, iodine, iodine chloride, iodine bromide, bromine chloride, iodine pentafluoride, bromine trifluoride, chlorine trifluoride, phosphorus trichloride, phosphorus tetrachloride, phosphorus tribromide and/or phosphorus triiodide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The functional group is amidoamines, polyamides, aliphatic amines, modified aliphatic amines, cycloaliphatic amines, aromatic amines, anhydrides, ketimines, diethylenetriamine, triethylene-tetramine, tetraethylene-pentamine, polyethylene polyamine, polyamine epoxy adduct, phenolic hardener, non-brominated curing agent and/or non-amine curatives. The functional group is OY1, NHY1, O=C-OY1, P=C-NR1Y1, O=C-SY1, O=C-Y1, -CR1-OY1, N-Y1 or C-Y1.Y1 = a functional group of a protein, a peptide, an amino acid, an enzyme, an antibody, a nucleotide, an oligonucleotide, an antigen, or an enzyme substrate, enzyme inhibitor or the transition state analog of an enzyme substrate or R1-OH, R1-NR12, R1SH, R1CHO, R1CN, R1X, R1N+(R1)3X-, R1SiR13, R1Si(-OR1-)yR13-y, R1Si(-O-SiR12-)OR1, R1-R2, R1-N-CO, (C2H4O-)wH, (C3H6O-)w-H, (-C2H4O)w-R1, (C3H6O)w-R1, R1; andw = greater than one and less than 200.The carboxylic acid is aromatic carboxylic acid, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic carboxylic acid, straight chain or branched chain carboxylic acid, optionally saturated monocarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids or polycarboxylic acids that have 1-10C and/or their alkyl esters.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The matrix material is a polymer, rubber, plastic, resin, glass, ceramic, carbon, metal and/or organic. The matrix material is a synthetic polymeric resin comprising nylons, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, styrenic, polyurethanes, polyimides, polycarbonates, polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate, polytetrafluoroethylene, acrylics, phenolics, or unsaturated polyesters. The matrix material is a polymer from a natural source and is cellulose, gelatin, chitin, polypeptides, polysaccharides, or other polymeric materials of plant, animal, or microbial origin.