Chirogenesis in Molecular Aggregates

Self-assembly process appears as a powerful and attractive strategy for constructing complex supramolecules by spontaneous organization of appropriate building blocks. Molecular recognition, which allows building ordered architectures starting from small messy units, is the basic process behind self-assembly. Therefore, exploiting these phenomena one can convey asymmetry to supramolecular level. The accurate insight of the chirogenic phenomenon via weak intermolecular forces in supramolecular systems may elucidate the origin of homochirality in Nature and Life. For this reason, several strategies have been implemented to investigate how molecular aggregates become chiral and which processes govern the bias for a certain enantiomeric assembly rather than another. This chapter first intends to address the basic principles regulating the self-assembly phenomena and their chirogenesis aspects from single units to multicomponent systems with particular regard to porphyrin-based assemblages. Moreover, the fundamental strategies for designing and building chirally oriented supramolecular aggregates will be taken into account.