TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Method: The process further involves: using the molding to achieve thin film patterning and mesostructural orientational ordering on the length scale of the patterning; using the molding to produce a monolith having uniform mesostructural orientational ordering on the length scale of the monolith; using the molding to produce a fiber having uniform mesostructural orientational ordering on the length scale of the fiber; and dispersing orientationally ordered guest species in the mesostructured inorganic-organic material by dispersing the guest species in a self-assembling solution of inorganic precursors, structure-directing agents, and at least one volatile solvent. The patterning is on a length scale greater than 50 nm. The orientationally ordered guest species comprise small molecule chromophores, conjugated polymers, metal clusters, ions, oxide guests, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanocrystals, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes, semiconducting polymers, organic molecules, inorganic molecules, organometallic molecules, molecules with sensing, catalytic or other reaction functionalities, enzymes or other biomolecules, cells, and/or viruses with biological functionalities. The orientationally ordered guest species are optically responsive. The optically-responsive species include small molecule chromophores, conjugated polymers, nanoparticles, nanowires, nanocrystals, carbon nanotubes, fullerenes and its derivatives. The optically-responsive guest species are associated with the organic regions or inorganic regions of the mesostructured inorganic-organic material. The orientationally ordered guest species are electronically-responsive or electrically-responsive. The method further involves: controlling orientational order of the mesostructured material by controlled removal of volatile solvents. The orientational order has the form of a hexagonal mesostructure with cylinder-like features oriented parallel to the substrate surface; a lamellar mesostructure with layered-like features oriented parallel to the substrate surface; a cubic mesostructure with channels oriented with respect to the substrate surface; a hexagonal mesostructure with cylinder-like features oriented perpendicular to the substrate surface; or a lamellar mesostructure with layered-like features oriented perpendicular to the substrate surface. further comprising: controlling orientational order of the mesostructured material by controlled removal of volatile solvents via gradients within a mold device; and controlling orientational order of the mesostructured material by controlled removal of volatile solvents on a substrate with aligned features. The molding involves using a patterned stamp/mold composed of a low compression modulus material, such as poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), and/or a high compression modulus material such as a cross-linked or glassy polymer, photoresist, silicon, or sol-gel derived oxides. THe mesostructured inorganic-organic material is formed using a low compression modulus material to direct the dynamics of solvent removal on a patterned surface. The network-forming inorganic species form a disordered, partially crystalline, nanocrystalline, or crystalline network. The network-forming inorganic species also contains an organic moiety. The network-forming inorganic species include, a metal oxide, silica, alumina, titania, semiconducting solids, and/or metals. The method further involves: removing organic structure-directing species by oxidation or solvent extraction treatments, yielding a mesoporous inorganic material; performing surface modification of the mesoporous inorganic material; incorporating at least one optically-responsive guest species into the mesoporous inorganic material; bonding the optically-responsive guest species to the inorganic framework of the mesoporous film; and incorporating at least one organic species into the mesoporous inorganic material. The organic species incorporated into the mesoporous inorganic material are treated to yield the orientationally ordered mesostructured carbon material. The orientationally ordered mesostructured carbon material is a mesoporous carbon material, such as a film, or has a cubic mesostructure. The method further involves using a mold or barrier to control the rate of solvent removal to influence the direction of mesophase alignment; controlling solvent concentration in the mold or barrier to influence the direction of mesophase alignment; creating an orientationally ordered mesostructured film patterned on the micrometer length scale; using a micromold on an aligned substrate to influence the direction of mesophase alignment; and using a micromold on an aligned inorganic substrate to influence the direction of mesophase alignment. The mold or barrier allows for patterning of a mesostructured film on micrometer length scales. EXAMPLE - No suitable example is given.