TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The metal catalyst comprises: at least one transition metal consisting of platinum, ruthenium, copper, iron, nickel, cobalt, palladium, tungsten, iridium, rhodium, strontium, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, zirconium, rhenium or an alloy of that; at least one non-transition metal consisting of magnesium, boron, aluminum or an alloy of that. The metal catalyst precursor comprises at least one metal chloride, metal nitride, iron acetylacetonate, ferrocene or platinum acetylacetonate. The metal chloride comprises at least one of copper(II) chloride, cobalt(II) chloride, osmium(III) chloride, chromium(III) chloride, hexaaminerutheniumtrichloride, manganese(II) chloride, iron(III) chloride, nickel(II) chloride, palladium(II) chloride, magnesium chloride, ruthenium(III) chloride or platinum(VIII) hexachloride dihydride. The metal nitride comprises at least one of bis(nitrooxy)palladium, tetraammineplatinum(II) nitrate, tris(nitrooxy)iron, bis(nitrooxy)nickel, magnesium nitrate or zirconium(IV) chloride.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The metal catalyst is used as an electrode catalyst for a fuel cell, and the branched carbon fibers or branched carbon tubes are used as an electrode catalyst support for a fuel cell. The carbon material is used as a microporous diffusion layer for a fuel cell or as a material for a secondary battery.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Method: The polymeric fibers or polymeric tubes are formed using a metal catalyst or metal catalyst precursor, and a halogenated polymer. The branches of the branched carbon fibers or branched carbon tubes are self-grown from stem carbon fibers or stem carbon tube through the heat treatment of the partially or totally dehalogenated polymeric fibers or polymeric tubes, or through an additional heat treatment separate from the heat treatment. The non-dehalogenated material is pyrolyzed and gasified during the heat treatment, and then is adsorbed onto the metal catalyst, where the metal catalyst is formed by pyrolysis of the metal catalyst precursor. The polymeric fibers or polymeric tubes are formed using a solution containing the metal catalyst or metal catalyst precursor and the halogenated polymer. The heat treatment of the partially or totally dehalogenated polymeric fibers or polymeric tubes includes carbonizing the polymeric fibers or polymeric tubes with graphitization at 100-2000 degrees C under inert gas or vacuum atmosphere. The method further comprises: adding 1,8-diazabicyclo(5.4.0)undec-7-ene to the solution; and injecting a hydrocarbon gas during the heat treatment to cause a change in size of the branched carbon fibers or branched carbon tubes. Preferred Components: The non-dehalogenated polymer is contained inside the partially or totally dehalogenated polymeric fibers or polymeric tubes. The halogenated polymer comprises: fluoro-based homopolymers or copolymers comprising at least one of polyvinylidene fluoride, poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoro-propylene), poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene) or perfluoropolymer; and/or chloro-based homopolymers or copolymers comprising at least one of polyvinyl chloride, polyvinylidene chloride, poly(vinylidene chloride-co-vinyl chloride) or saran polymer. The polymeric fibers or polymeric tubes have a diameter of 5-3000 nm. The branched carbon fibers or branched carbon tubes comprise the metal catalyst particles dispersed in stem carbon fibers or stem carbon tubes, and branches self-grown on the metal catalyst particles. The branched carbon fibers or branched carbon tubes have: a specific surface area of 50-3000 m2/g; a diameter of 5-3000 nm; and a pore size of 1-300 nm. The branches of the branched carbon fibers or branched carbon tubes have a diameter of 5-1000 nm. EXAMPLE - Platinum(VIII) hexachloride dihydride (0.25 g) was mixed with acetone (7 g) to give a metal precursor solution. In a separate container, polyvinylidene fluoride (1.27 g) as a halogenated polymer was mixed with dimethyl acetamide (3 g) to give a halogenated polymer mixture. The metal precursor solution was introduced into the halogenated polymer mixture and agitated for 20 minutes. Then, 1,8-diazabicyclo(5.4.0)undec-7-ene (2.5 mu l) was injected into the resultant mixture to perform uniform dehalogenation and the resultant mixture was agitated at 70 degrees C for 20 minutes. The obtained polymer solution was subjected to electro-spinning to obtain polymeric fibers or polymeric tubes. The obtained polymeric fibers or polymeric tubes undergo a phase shift into a liquid phase at 165 degrees C. Sodium hydroxide (40 g) was introduced into distilled water (1 l) and tetra-n-butylammonium bromide (4 g) was added to that as a phase transfer catalyst, followed by agitation for 20 minutes. The resultant solution was heated to 70 degrees C. After the solution reaches 70 degrees C, the polymeric fibers obtained from the electro-spinning was introduced to that, followed by agitation for one hour to give dehalogenated polymeric fibers. The dehalogenated polymeric fibers are carbonized under nitrogen atmosphere. The polymeric fibers are heated from room temperature to 500 degrees C or 800 degrees C at a rate of 10 degrees C/minute and maintained at the above temperature for two hours to give the carbon fibers or carbon tubes.