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Supramolecular chemistry gives powerful tools to scientists for fabrication of new functional materials. Constant studies over nature of multiple interactions in biological systems, their application in chemistry and material science, finally fabrication of new devices available for wide community, allow progress and help humanity in everyday life. The present thesis is focused on design of applied supramolecular architectures for fascinating applications in material science, synthesis of building blocks for these systems and final assembly of subunits into functional materials, when possible. Main part of thesis harvest exceptional complexation properties of tetraphosphonate cavitands towards charged organic ammonium salts. They have been employed for building hierarchical luminescent complexes on silicon (Chapter 3), synthesis of luminescent dyes aligning in liquid crystal displays (Chapter 4), sensing of charged amines in water environment (Chapter 7), and their model compound, metal bridged cavitands, have been synthesized as building blocks for metal organic frameworks (Chapter 2). Second part of thesis is focused on chemistry of phthalocyanines, synthetic macromolecules with particular optical and electronic properties, which upon proper functionalization and organization on the surfaces can find applications in organic photovoltaics as very strong light absorbents and electron donors/acceptors (Chapter 5). Sandwich complexes with terbium opened area of new applications in spintronics due to its single molecule magnet properties (Chapter 6), where rational organization on surfaces is crucial.

Supramolecular chemistry is the ultimate strategy for the fabrication of innovative materials devote to accomplish advanced tasks. Mastering the weak interactions that held together the molecular components, a sophisticated structures appear. The present thesis deals with the formation of supramolecular networks via molecular recognition, covering three main topics: 1) the realization of hybrid organic-inorganic material, by polymer controlled association of gold nanoparticles; 2) the fabrication of sensor device, by combining molecular recognition functions with electrical properties of carbon nanotubes, and 3) the formation of polymer blending, as macroscopic expression of molecular recognition. All the topics have been exploited moving in the frame of cavitand chemistry. Several and complementary techniques, both in solution and in the solid state, allow for the comprehensive characterization of the formed networks, at different scale, ranging from molecular to macroscopic level. La chimica supramolecolare è la miglior strategia per la fabbricazione di materiali innovativi, importarti per svolgere funzioni avanzate. Grazie alla possibilità di scegliere e prevedere le interazioni che legano i componenti molecolari, è possibile costruire architetture molto sofisticate. Questa tesi si colloca all’interno di questo contesto affrontando tre linee di ricerca: 1) la realizzazione di materiali ibridi organici-inorganici, attraverso l’associazione controllata di nano particelle d’oro; 2) la fabbricazione di un sensore, inserendo funzioni di riconoscimento molecolare, in materiali grafici quali nano tubi di carbonio e 3) la formazione di miscele polimerica, per mezzo dell’espressione macroscopica del riconoscimento molecolare. Le nuove strutture ottenute sono state studiate attraverso diverse e complementari tecniche di caratterizzazione, muovendosi lungo la scala che collega il mondo microscopico a quello macroscopico.