This is a major area of research in the Group, focusing on the production of carbon materials (nanotubes/nanofibers, graphene, xerogels and ordered mesoporous carbons) with tuned textural and surface chemical properties. New functionalization methods have been developed, such as controlled hydrothermal oxidation for the incorporation of O and S groups, and a solvent-free ball milling method for the preparation of N-doped carbon materials. Specific characterization methods rely on the deconvolution of TPD-MS profiles (a method previously developed in-house) and XPS spectra. Functionalized carbon materials are used for a variety of applications, including catalysis, adsorption, and the production of innovative materials, including functional textiles, carbon-based membranes and carbon sensors. A new topic of research concerns the synthesis of hierarchical micro-mesoporous carbon materials based on soft templating methods, which find application in energy storage.