From solution to solid surface: a step towards chiral materials.

Nowadays, porphyrin chemistry in solution has reached a consolidated maturity that makes this intriguing class of molecules of increasing interest for their potential application in the design of new supramolecular devices.1 The ability to control spontaneous assembly using appropriate templates, allows for designing the final species in terms of sequence, stoichiometry of the components and chirality of the structure. As recently shown,2 chirality can be induced through covalent approach or non-covalent approaches. Moving out from the solution and transferring onto solid surfaces represent fundamental steps in the perspective of development of hybrid chiral materials. Herein, an overview of methodology and materials used to immobilize porphyrin chiral aggregates onto inorganic surfaces for applications in material chemistry, catalysis and sensors is presented and the crucial role of thermodynamic and kinetic aspects is evoked and remarked.