Alkaline lignin was thermally converted to microporous carbon in ca. 50% yield by heating up from room temperature to 900 degrees C without activation process under flowing of an argon gas. The carbonized material prepared by heating up conditions of 1 degrees C min(-1) showed 530 m(2)/g of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface area, which increased to 740 m(2)/g after washing with water. Furthermore, alkaline lignin derivatives were structured as micron scale particles by micelle formation and polymer gelation techniques. Carbonization of the structured lignins could afford high porous materials having BET surface areas above 1000 m(2)/g without surface activation processes. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.