This disclosure relates to a porous electrically conductive carbon material having interconnected pores in first and second size ranges from 10[mu]m to 100nm and from less than 100nm to 3nm and a graphene structure and to diverse uses of the material such as an electrode in a lithium-ion battery and a catalyst support, e.g. for the oxidation of methanol in a fuel cell. The carbon material has been heat treated to effect conversion to non-graphitic carbon with the required degree of order at a temperature in the range from 600 DEG C to 1000 DEG C. A lithium-ion battery and an electrode for a lithium-ion battery are also claimed.