Scanning probe studies of porphyrin assemblies and their supramolecular manipulation at a solid-liquid interface

Dynamic self-assembly and metal-ligand coordination processes of porphyrin hexamers on a solid-liquid interface have been visualized with scanning tunneling microscopy. The organization of these hexamers into stable and highly organized arrays of edge-on or face-on oriented molecules can be controlled by the addition of different ditopic axial ligands (see Figure).