Self-assembly: mastering photonic processes at nanoscale

Supramolecular ordering happens as an important parameter for the control of light emission processes. In this review paper, we discuss several examples of application of self-assembly to the realization of nano-structures designed in view of mastering specific photonic processes. This comprises the formation of highly localized plasmon modes in self-organized 2D assemblies of metal nanoparticles, the immobilization of dyes inside highly homogeneous 2D alveolar self-assembled molecular matrices and molecular 3D building blocks designed to combine in-plane periodicity and off-plane pi-conjugated protrusions. Finally, we will discuss 3D self-assembly in solution with the example of fluorescent labelling of DNA.