Disclosed are methods for producing carbon, metal and/or metal oxide porous materials that have precisely controlled structures on the nanometer and micrometer scales. The methods involve the single or repeated infiltration of porous templates with metal salts at controlled temperatures, the controlled drying and decomposition of the metal salts under reducing conditions, and optionally the removal of the template. The carbon porous materials are involve the infiltration of a carbon precursor into a porous template, followed by polymerization and pyrolysis. These porous materials have utility in separations, catalysis, among others.