The selective recognition of imidazole by a phenanthroline-strapped zinc porphyrin was used as a tool for the self-assembly of molecular wires. Several structural variations on the building blocks were explored as a way to control the formation of the molecular wires. This thesis presents the synthesis of the molecules investigated and studies of the assemblies formed in solution and on surfaces. Self-assembled linear species, whose formation was assisted by the surface, were observed by atomic force microscopy.
