TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The (semi)metal is silicon. The particulate (semi)metal oxide is silicon dioxide, which has a mean particle diameter of 5-5000 nm.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The carbon material has: at least 0.1 (preferably 0.2-1) cm3/g of pores having a pore diameter of 1-5 nm, and at least 0.1 (preferably 0.3-2.7) cm3/g of pores having a pore diameter of 5-300 nm, determined by BJH nitrogen sorption to DIN 66134; a total pore volume of 0.3-3 (preferably 0.5-2.9) cm3/g, determined by BJH nitrogen sorption to DIN 66134; a specific Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 200-3000 m2/g, determined by nitrogen sorption to DIN ISO 9277; a weight average particle diameter of 20 nm to 50 mu m; and a carbon content of at least 95 wt.%. The composite material comprises 1-45 wt.% of carbon and 55-99 wt.% of sulfur. Preferred Process: The step of providing particulate composite material comprises polymerizing at least one monomer having at least one cationically polymerizable, organic monomer unit and at least one (semi)metal bonded via oxygen to the cationically polymerizable monomer unit and forms (semi)metal oxides, under cationic polymerization conditions. The monomer is polymerized in the presence of a particulate (semi)metal oxide, which has been treated with an acid before the polymerization. EXAMPLE - Aerosil OX50 (RTM: Fumed silica) (1 g) was suspended in dichloromethane (200 ml). Then methanesulfonic acid (240 mg) was added and the resultant dispersion was stirred at 22 degrees C for 15 minutes. Subsequently, the solvent was removed under reduced pressure. The solid thus obtained was dissolved in toluene (200 ml). To this was added dropwise a solution of 2,2'-spirobi(4H-1,3,2-benzodioxasilin) (2 g) in toluene (50 ml), and the mixture was stirred at 22 degrees C for 15 hours. Subsequently, the pulverulent solid was filtered off and dried at 40 degrees C under reduced pressure to constant weight. The obtained powder was subsequently carbonized in a tubular furnace in an argon stream at 800 degrees C or 1100 degrees C for 2 hours to obtain a black powder, or the obtained powder was subsequently stored in 40% aqueous hydrogen fluoride for 3 days. Subsequently, the remaining powder was filtered off, washed with water and ethanol, and dried at 40 degrees C under reduced pressure to obtain the particulate porous carbon material.