  We present several recently synthesized nanocomposites consisting of liquid
crystals as well as an organic molecular crystal embedded into the nanochannels
of mesoporous alumina and silica. As liquid-crystalline mesogens achiral,
nematogen and chiral cholesteric guest molecules infiltrated into nanochannels
by spontaneous imbibition were chosen. The molecular ordering inside the
nanochannels, which can be tailored by modifying the surface anchoring, was
characterized by optical polarimetry (linear and/or circular birefringence) in
combination with X-ray diffraction. For the synthesis of the solid crystalline
nanocomposites ferroelectric triglycine sulfate (TGS) nanocrystals were
deposited into the nanochannels by slow evaporation of saturated water
solutions imbibed into the porous hosts. Their textural and physicochemical
properties were explored by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and
dielectric techniques.
