a method of making a microporous carbon material which includes providing a precursor selected from the group consisting of crystalline salts of aromatic sulfonates and nonporous polymeric salts . heat treatment of such precursors in the temperature range of 350 ° to 850 ° c . in an inert oxygen free atmosphere for a sufficient time promotes thermally induced hydrogen abstraction and rearrangement of bsus which result in the formation of a carbonaceous microporous material having a pore size distribution in the range of about 4 - 15 å . the structural and storage characteristics of the microporous carbon materials are also disclosed .