TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - METALLURGY - Preferred Component: The catalytic templating nanoparticles comprise iron, cobalt, and/or nickel.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The purified intermediate carbon material is heated to greater than 200, preferably greater than 1000 degrees C. It is treated with a base comprising sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonia, lithium-acetate, sodium-acetate, potassium-acetate, sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, disodium carbonate, and/or dipotassium carbonate. The purified intermediate carbon material is treated with base such that a washing solution with 1:1 weight ratio of washing solution to carbon nanomaterial has a pH of 5.0-8.0, preferably 6.0-7.5. The templating nanoparticles are formed in the carbon precursor. They are formed before mixing with the carbon precursor. The templating nanoparticles are prepared by reacting precursor catalyst atoms with organic dispersing agent molecules to form complexed catalyst atoms; and allowing or causing the complexed catalyst atoms to form the templating nanoparticles. The intermediate carbon material is purified by removing a portion(s) of the residual catalytic metal. The residual catalytic metal is removed by etching with an acid. The amorphous carbon is removed by using an oxidizing agent, preferably potassium permanganate. Preferred Component: The carbon nanostructures comprise carbon nanospheres. Each carbon nanosphere comprises a multi-walled outer structure and a center that is hollow or filled with catalytic templating particle. The carbon nanomaterial is free of acid functional groups. Preferred Parameter: The carbon nanomaterial has an acid functionalization such that the carbon nanomaterial has a pH of 5.0-8.0, preferably 6.0-7.5, when soaked in water at 1:1 weight ratio of carbon nanomaterial to water. Preferred Composition: The carbon nanospheres are greater than 70, preferably greater than 90 wt.%. EXAMPLE - Iron solution (0.1 M) was prepared by using iron powder (84 g), citric acid (289 g), and water (15 L). The iron-containing mixture was mixed in a closed bottle on a shaker table for 3 days, with brief interruptions once or twice daily to purge the vapor space of the bottle with air gas before resuming mixing. Resorcinol (916.6 g) and formaldehyde (37% in water) (1350 g) were combined and stirred until resorcinol was fully dissolved. The iron solution (15 L) was slowly added with stirring, and ammonium hydroxide (28-30% in water) (1025 ml) was added dropwise with vigorous stirring. The pH of the resulted suspension was 10.26. The slurry was cured at 80-90 degrees C (water bath) for 10 hours. The solid carbon precursor mixture was collected by filtration and dried in overnight. The polymerized precursor mixture was carbonized under nitrogen flow using the following temperature program: room temperature-1160 degrees C at 20 degrees C/minute-held for 5 hours at 1160 degrees C-room temperature. The purification of the carbonized carbon product was performed by refluxing carbonized product in 5 M nitric acid (HNO3) for 12 hours, rinsing with deionized water, treating with a mixture of potassium permanganate+sulfuric acid+water at a mole ratio of 1:0.01:0.003 (kept at 90 degrees C for 12 hours), rinsing with deionized water, treating with 4 M hydrochloric acid (kept at 90 degrees C for 12 hours), rinsing with deionized water, collecting the product, and drying at 100 degrees C for 2 days. After purification, the carbon product went through heat treatment under this temperature program: heated from room temperature at 4 degrees C/minute-100 degrees C-held at 100 degrees C for 2 hours-250 degrees C at 15 degrees C/minute-held for 2 hours at 250 degrees C-1000 degrees C at 15 degrees C/minute-held at 1000 degrees C for 2 hours-room temperature, yielding a carbon nanomaterial primarily comprising carbon nanospheres. The carbon nanomaterial at a heat treated temperature of 1000 degrees C had larger peaks at 1354, indicating that the amorphous carbon was graphitic and thus was not burnt off (i.e. there was less mass loss).