Low dimensional materials offer very interesting material and physical properties due to reduced dimensionality. At present, 2D materials are the focus of attention. However, 1D systems often show far more exotic behaviour, such as Luttinger liquid, Peierls distortion, Majorana states etc.. We will present different classes of 1D molecular chains formed on metallic surfaces, which physical properties were investigated by scanning probe microscopy supported by theoretical simulations. We will discuss a presence of non-trivial topological end states rationalized by Su-Schrieffer–Heeger model. We will also demonstrate interesting mechanical and electronic properties of organometalic chains resulting from on surface polymerization of ferrocene molecules.