Abstract: A graphitized activated carbon and a method for the preparation thereof is disclosed. The material is comprised of bundles of aligned tubes that share a common wall and range from 10 to 500 micrometeres in length. Individual particle diameters range from 5 to 150 micrometers, and individual tube diameters are 1 to 10 micrometers. The shared walls are no thicker than 3 micrometers, and preferably less than 1 micrometer thick. Embedded within said walls are pores and channels of a diameter in a range of less than 1 to 50 nanometers, preferably less than 5 nanometers. When the carbonaceous particles are combined with metallic species including oxides, alloys, and/or multi-metal combinations, the hybrid material is useful for reversible storage of gas, including hydrogen, and do not require reaction of the metal components with hydrogen prior to combination with the carbon component.