TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOLOGY - Preferred Components: The carbohydrate-based precursor or carbohydrates include at least one precursor selected from bamboo, rice water, bourbon waste, peanut shells, packaging peanuts, macadamia nut shell, potato, sweet potato, banana peel, orange peel, sugar beet juice, sour milk, corn cob, high fructose corn syrup, pistachio shell, coconut shell, fruit cocktail liquid, sweet potato yam liquid, sea weed, pasta water, and tapioca.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The composition (C1) includes dopant atoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, boron, sulfur, and selenium; and has a content of ash not greater than 2 wt.%.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The composition (C1) further have a pore volume of 0.01-1.6 cm3/g. Preferred Method: In method (M1), the reaction temperature is 140-230 degrees C; the pressure vessel is pressurized to less than 350 psi; and the precursor includes carbon, and the weight of the formed carbon particles is at least 60 wt.% of the weight of carbon in the precursor. In method (M1), additives are added to the precursor solution, where the additives includes at least one additive selected from potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide, cysteine, phloroglucinol, ammonium phosphate, ammonium hydroxide, boric acid, lead nitrate, melamine, sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium tetraborate, methane sulfonic acid, ethylene glycol, hydroquinone, catechol, resorcinol, ammonium bicarbonate, oxalic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, acrylic acid, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, polyethylenimine, and urea. The chemical activation involves mixing the carbon particles with potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and/or sodium carbonate. The physical activation involves subjecting the carbon particles under a gas flow of ammonia, ammonium hydroxide, steam and/or carbon dioxide. In method (M1), the carbon particles are mixed with a metal-based salt before the activations; and the precursor solution is placed in the pressure vessel on a carbohydrate-based substrate. Preferred Components: The particles (A1) are substantially spherical having a diameter of 10 nm to 200 mu m; are substantially non-spherical, and are measuring 10 nm to 200 mu m in the longest dimension; have a surface area of 20-3400 m2/g; include fluorinated carbon having a composition of CFx; have a specific capacitance of 100-300 F/g in an aqueous electrolyte; and have a specific capacitance of 100-200 F/g in a non-aqueous electrolyte. The carbohydrates include at least one precursor selected from xylose, glucose, glucosamine, fructose, sucrose and maltose. The particles (A2) are substantially interconnected. The particles (A2) are substantially spherical, where at least one portion of the particles having a first diameter, at least another portion of the particles having a second diameter, and the first diameter is less than the second diameter, where a ratio of the first diameter to the second diameter is not greater than 0.42. The first and second sets of carbon particles are substantially equal by weight.x=0.5-1.1.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The carbohydrates include at least one precursor selected from rayon fiber, starch, cellulose, bamboo fiber and corn starch. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.