A large number of the technologically useful, unusual, and exciting superhard, superstrong, and electronic/photonic materials such as diamond, carbon and BN nanotubes, C3N4 and SiC are derived from carbon by covalent bonding of C to itself, and with other elements such as N, B, and Si. Recent advances in theoretical approaches to design unique materials such as the C3N4, and novel ways to synthesize metastable thin film materials such as diamond, cubic-BN, and carbon-nanotubes under typical laboratory conditions have provided a significant excitement for creating and synthesizing unique materials in the ternary C-B-N system. Consequently, our research activities are focussed on the synthesis of new materials with unusual properties in the C-B-N system. The rationale for these activities, nanoscale materials synthesis, and their properties will be presented.