This dissertation is a compilation of the work done during my graduate career and consists of two sections. The first section, comprised of the first three chapters, will discuss the research I conducted in the Siwy lab on selective polymer and nanopore systems. The second section is comprised of chapters four and five which detail the curriculum I have developed for chemical education in the general chemistry laboratory series.Chapters 1 and 2 detail the use of polymers of intrinsic microporosity as porous, large-ion selective membranes. Porous membranes have been used for many applications, including separations in biotechnology, the food industry, water purification, and even energy storage devices. The benefit of polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) is their consistently sized nanopore channels. Inherent functionalities of the PIM structure not only create these channels but are also available for further modifications that can change the interactions of ions and molecules inside of the pore. Chapter 1 describes solid state nanopores on which are drop-casted two different PIMs, functionalized with either a cyano group or a carboxylic acid. Ionic transport through the membranes is investigated based on pore size and charge-charge interactions, as well as steric and hydrophobic interactions. Chapter 2 describes a chiral carboxylic acid PIM drop casted onto a solid state nanopore and its interactions with chiral small molecules. The ionic transport of the small molecules is investigated based on chiral interactions and hydrogen bonding. Achieving specific ion selectivity with easily processable porous membranes opens new avenues for water purification strategies, energy storage, and pharmaceutical separations. Chapter 3 describes a single nanopore that can be functionalized with a range of enzymes for biomolecule detection. Biosensors are extremely important in a wide variety of disease diagnostics. However, a separate sensor must be made specifically for the disease model it is detecting. Thus, it is desirable to produce a biosensor that can be adapted for many different diseases with simple modification steps. We report a single 20 nm nanopore functionalized with a biotin linker capable of binding to a range of enzymes that detect cancer molecules. Chapters 4 and 5 are devoted to curriculum development for an online course in response to the pandemic and for returning to in-person instruction. The instruction of high enrollment general and organic chemistry laboratories at a large public university always have curricular, administrative, and logistical challenges. Chapter 4 discusses how the instructional teams met these challenges in the transition to remote teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Chapter 5 discusses how the general chemistry instructional team transitioned to argument-driven inquiry for reopening back to in-person instruction. Both chapters report the reasoning behind the approaches, the utilization of our existing web-based course content, the additions and alterations to our curriculum, replacement of original experimental work with videos or theme-based inquiries, the results of both student and TA surveys, and lessons learned for iterations of these courses in the near future.