The development of ever smaller electronic and photonic technologies has been hyped in both the scientific literature and the popular press. Recently, efforts have focused on the preparation of molecular scale wires and devices with nanometer or smaller dimensions. There is a continuing need for new synthetic and processing strategies to prepare these nanomaterials. We have been pursuing new approaches to the preparation of sensors and switches in the context of conjugated polymers, electrically conducting plastics, and molecular wires. Using a combination of organic chemistry and coordination chemistry, new polymers can be prepared which exhibit long range electron and energy transport behaviors. In some cases, these polymers act as fluorescent sensors, responding selectively to environmental systems to ensure safe drinking water or identify industrial pollutants. Derivatives of these materials can also be prepared as nanofibers, thin films on fiber optics, and metal-organic hybrid materials to provide a suite of new materials that can be used for future molecular electronic and photonic devices. This talk will explore new and recent developments in this area of nanotechnology at a level appropriate for the chemistry enthusiast.