Methods for producing porous graphic carbon microspheres having improved separation properties over conventional porous graphitic carbons. The methods include dispersing a monovinyl aromatic monomer, a polyvinyl aromatic monomer, and an initiator in a solvent, contacting porous silica microspheres with the monomer dispersion for a time sufficient for the monomers to coat the porous silica microspheres, polymerizing the monomers to form copolymer coated microspheres, sulfonating the copolymer, pyrolyzing the sulfonated copolymer, digesting the carbon microspheres to dissolve the silica leaving porous carbon microspheres, pyrolyzing the porous carbon microspheres, and graphitizing the porous carbon microspheres to form porous graphitic carbon microspheres. Further provided are improved porous graphitic carbon microspheres and chromatography columns including the improved porous graphitic carbon microspheres described herein.