TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The oxidation/reduction reaction between the porous carbon structure and aqueous metal salt precursor solution occurs while the reactants are exposed to microwave energy. The method further comprises incorporating the cations of the ionic species within the metal oxide, and exchanging the cations incorporated within the oxide coating for other cations or protons, heating the electrode material subsequent to formation of the metal oxide coating, where the heating step is performed at above 70 degrees C and below 250 degrees C as hydrothermal processing in an autoclave or at above 70 degrees C and below 1000 degrees C in inert atmosphere or oxidizing and/or reducing atmosphere. Preferred Components: The monolithic porous carbon structure is formed with the use of a template or a nitrogen dopant. The metal oxide coating comprises a metal oxide compound of formula (M2O7), (M2O5), (M3O4) or (MO2), or a lithium oxide compound of formula (LiMO2), (LiM2O4), (Li4M5O12), or (Li28+aM20O48). The aqueous precursor solution comprises ultrapure water, or a buffer solution and one or more metal salt of formula (M1(NOy)zxH2O), (M1ClyxH2O), (M1Fy), (M1Iy), (M1B1ry), ((M1Cly)zxH2O), (M1(ClOy)zxH2O), (M1y(SOz)w), (M1SOzxH2O), (M1yP), ((M1POy)xH2O), (M1(OCHy)z), (M1OSOyxH2O), or (M1(Cyz)xH2O). Preferred Components: The aqueous precursor solution optionally contains an organic co-solvent.M = one or more manganese, nickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum, chromium, molybdenum, rhodium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, vanadium, tungsten, tantalum, palladium, lead, tin, titanium, copper, zinc, niobium or lithium, where M is not solely manganese dioxide or iron oxide;a = 0-8;x = 0-12;y, z, w = 0-4; andM1 = manganese, nickel, cobalt, iron, aluminum, chromium, molybdenum, rhodium, iridium, osmium, rhenium, vanadium, tungsten, tantalum, palladium, lead, tin, titanium, copper, zinc, niobium, lithium, sodium permanganate, potassium permanganate, lithium permanganate, dipotassium ferrate, titanium(III) chloride tetrahydrofuran complex (1:3), titanium diisopropoxide bis (acetylacetonate), titanium(IV) isopropoxide, titanium(IV)(triethanolaminato) isopropoxide, titanium(IV) bis(ammonium lactato)dihydroxide, titanium(IV) butoxide, titanium(IV) ethoxide, titanium(IV) oxyacetylacetonate, titanium(IV) phthalocyanine dichloride, titanium(IV) propoxide, titanium(IV) sulfide, titanium(IV) tert-butoxide, titanium(IV) 2-ethylhexyloxide, potassium hexafluorotitanate, iron(II)ethylenediammoniumsulfate-4-hydrate, iron(II) acetate, iron(II) acetylacetonate, ammonium iron(III) oxalate trihydrate, iron(III) citrate, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, lithium nitrate, sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, lithium sulfate, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide or lithium hydroxide.