Noncovalent nanoarchitectures on surfaces: from 2D to 3D nanostructures

Nanofabrication requires new methodologies for the assembly of molecular to micrometre-scale objects onto substrates in predetermined arrangements for the fabrication of two and three-dimensional nanostructures. The positioning and the organization of such structures into spatially well-defined arrays constitute a powerful strategy for the creation of materials structured at the molecular level, and to extend the desired properties of these materials to the macroscopic level. Self-assembly is the pathway that enables the formation of such structures, and the formation of multiple supramolecular interactions is the key to controlling the thermodynamics and kinetics of such assemblies. This article is devoted to some representative examples to assemble molecules and nanoparticles in solution and at surfaces based on noncovalent interactions as a tool for the construction of two and three-dimensional systems.