Chemical systems display a wide variety of pattern formation processes. Self-assembly of colloids into higher order structures is important for many field* of *science and technology. In my lecture, I will present a synthesis method for nanoparticles based on nucleation and particle growth in the wake of a moving chemical front in a gel matrix. The process yields well-separated regions (bands) filled with nearly monodisperse nanoparticles and microparticles, with the size of the particles varying from band to band in a predictable way. I will also report a new type of pattern formation (precipitation waves) that has anomalous transport property, specifically superdiffusive nature, and it can be controlled by the initial concentration of the inner electrolyte. Moreover, I will show several chemical systems in which chemical wave propagation inside a moving precipitation layer can emerge. This observation points out the generality and robustness of similar behavior in diffusion-precipitation systems.