Applications of Nanoparticles Containing Porphyrins and Related Systems

Merging nanoparticles and porphyrins (together with their related systems) can lead to the creation of unique materials that can induce great improvements of technology in many areas. The discussion hereafter will be divided into sections each presenting structures containing nanoparticles of a different nature. In the introduction of each section we will briefly sketch the latest achievements in the synthesis and the assembly of the components, followed by a discussion of their more recent applications. We have identified seven main materials that helped us to present the state of the art in the research in this lively and multisided topic. These are: metal, semiconductors, carbon, titania, silica, polymeric nanoparticles, and finishing with bare porphyrins nanoaggregates. It has to be said that it was not easy to draw a reasonable partition of the subjects since many application research areas involve more than one or even two of these materials as components; we have tried to emphasize these synergies wherever possible. We hope to give to the reader at least a taste of this fascinating subject and of its huge potential.