NOVELTY - Electrode material comprises: a conformal surface with metal oxide coating comprising manganese, nickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum, chromium, molybdenum, rhodium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, vanadium, tungsten, tantalum, palladium, lead, tin, titanium, copper, zinc, niobium or lithium; and a monolithic porous carbon structure comprising a carbon xerogel formed with carbon microfibers, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphene, carbon black or activated carbon, and pores of above average pore size and pores of below average pore size.    USE - The electrode material is useful in electrochemical capacitors and a secondary battery cell (all claimed), and as fuel cell electrodes, absorption electrodes in water deionization and as electrodes for electrolysis.    ADVANTAGE - The electrode material has improved cycle life, shorter recharge time and increased usable storage capacity at elevated power levels.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Electrode material comprises: a conformal surface coating of metal oxide, where the metal oxide coating comprises one or more of manganese, nickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum, chromium, molybdenum, rhodium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, vanadium, tungsten, tantalum, palladium, lead, tin, titanium, copper, zinc, niobium or lithium, the metal oxide coating is not solely manganese dioxide or iron oxide, the average thickness of the metal oxide coating is greater than 5 nm and less than 1000 nm, the metal oxide coating consisting of a crystalline phase, a partially crystalline phase and/or an amorphous phase; and a monolithic porous carbon structure comprising a carbon xerogel formed with one or more carbon microfibers, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphene, carbon black or activated carbon, where the porous carbon structure further comprises pores of above average pore size and pores of below average pore size, where the pores of above average pore size have an average diameter of greater than 2 nm and the pores of below average pore size are smaller than 5 mu m. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) a method for producing the electrode material comprising: reacting a metal salt with a surface of the porous carbon structure, where the reacting step is an oxidation/reduction reaction, the metal salt is contained in an aqueous precursor solution comprising ionic species, and the porous carbon structure is infiltrated with the precursor solution; and reducing the ionic species on the surface of the carbon structure and co-depositing in oxide form upon the carbon structure, where the aqueous precursor solution is maintained at above 20 degrees C and below 250 degrees C during the infiltration comprising immersing and equilibrating the carbon structure in a bath of the aqueous metal salt precursor solution, or applying pressure spray consisting of the aqueous metal salt precursor solution upon the carbon structure, the aqueous metal salt precursor solution comprises a solvent comprising at least one of purified water, organic solvent, pH buffer and/or cation salts;    (2) a capacitor cell comprising at least an electrode of the above material, an electrolyte (3), an electronically insulating but ionically conductive separator film, a second electrode and a current collector, where the electrode and second electrode are separated by the separator film, each of the two electrodes are physically attached and electronically connected to the current collector, the electrolyte comprises salts of alkali metal in at least one of an aqueous solvent, a non-aqueous solvent, a polymer and/or an ionic liquid, the current collector is a metal foil, metal mesh, electrically conductive polymer composites and/or expanded metal, the second electrode uses the electrode material, or a porous activated carbon structure, or a composite comprising a binder and a conductivity enhancing carbon and powder comprising one or more of a metal oxide, a metal carbide, a metal nitride, a metal phosphate, activated carbon, hard carbon, carbon nanotubes, graphene or graphite, and the carbon structure or carbon powder comprising the second electrode is used with or without nitrogen doping; and    (3) a secondary battery cell comprising the electrolyte, the electronically insulating but ionically conductive separator film, a pair of electrodes, at least one electrode of the pair of electrodes comprises the above material, and the current collector, where the pair of electrodes are separated by the separator, the electrolyte and each electrode are physically attached and electronically connected to the current collector.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a constitutional drawing of an electrochemical cell such as an electrochemical capacitors or secondary battery.    Cathode current collector (1)    Cathode (2)    Electrolyte/separator (3)    Anode (4)    Anode current collector. (5)