We create new nanostructured materials by designed synthesis to provide a platform for developing novel applications. We are particularly interested in both inorganic and polymeric nonporous materials which are characterized by large surface area, high porosity and uniform pores of molecular dimensions; these can be very useful for applications in catalysis, separation, adsorption and gas storage. We exploit cutting-edge electron microscopic techniques to image various complex and delicate nanostructures with atomic-scale resolution, which combined with materials modeling allows better understanding of the structure-property correlation.