We currently look at the design of a number of functional bulk materials, e.g., aerogels, ionogels, and multicomponent nanofibers in our laboratory where the investigation focuses on the hierarchical construction of the bulk structures from 5-50 nm polymeric and ceramic building blocks. In one example, mesoporous polymer gels filled with ionic liquids are used as separators cum electrolytes of lithium ion batteries offering high ionic mobility, expanded operating temperature window, and strong mechanical performance. A second example focuses on the design of core-shell and side by side nanofiber structures that offer fine balance between burst and timed-release of drugs in wound dressing materials. A third example considers screening of airborne nanoparticles (100 nm or smaller) using polymeric aerogel monoliths with filtration efficiency approaching 100% at an order of magnitude higher air permeability than found in HEPA filters. In all these examples, the interplay between chemistry, phase separation dynamics, and development of nanometric building blocks are investigated with the objective of meeting some of the grand technological challenges faced by our generation.