The electrochemical behavior of graphite in polar solvent-H 2 SO 4 electrolytes is studied in a wide range of H 2 SO 4 concentrations. The results demonstrate that, with decreasing H 2 SO 4 concentration, the charging curves become smoother and shift to higher potentials, the stage index increases, and intercalation compounds are more difficult to obtain. At H 2 SO 4 concentrations of 50% and lower, graphite polarization is accompanied by a significant overoxidation, as evidenced by the anomalously small intercalate layer thicknesses: 7.75-7.85 Å. Anodic polarization of graphite in electrolytes consisting of H 2 SO 4 and a polar solvent (H 2 O and C 2 H 5 OH) follows the same mechanism as in the case of the formation of graphite bisulfate. In going from water to C 2 H 5 OH, a less polar solvent, the intercalation threshold increases from 30 to 70% H 2 SO 4 . It is shown using a set of characterization techniques that, in the graphite-H 2 SO 4 -R (R = H 2 O, C 2 H 5 OH) systems, the solvent is not intercalated into graphite. Stage I-III ternary graphite intercalation compounds (TGICs) are synthesized for the first time in the graphite-H 2 SO 4 -C 2 H 5 COOH system: stage I TGICs at H 2 SO 4 concentrations above 70%, stage II in the range 30-70% H 2 SO 4 , and stage III at H 2 SO 4 concentrations down to 10%. The intercalate layer thickness in the TGICs is 7.94 Å. The mechanism of TGIC formation in this system is shown to differ from those in mixtures of H 2 SO 4 and other organic acids. Thermal analysis in combination with spectroscopic analysis of gaseous products provides clear evidence for intercalation of propionic acid into the TGIC and indicates that the thermal stability of this compound is lower than that of graphite bisulfate.