A series of thermally responsive dendritic core-shell polymers were prepared based upon dendritic poly(ether-amide) (DPEA), modified with carboxyl end-capped linear poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm-COOH) or both PNIPAAm-COOH and carboxyl end-capped methoxy polyethylene glycol (PEG-COOH) in different ratios via an esterification process to obtain DPEA-PNIPAAm or DPEA-PNIPAAm-PEG. Their molecular structures were verified by gel permeation chromatography, and H-1 NMR and FTIR spectroscopy. The temperature-dependent characteristics study has revealed that DPEA-PNIPAAm exhibits a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of about 34 degrees C, whereas DPEA-PNLPAAm--PEG polymers with the PNIPAAm/PEG ratio of about 1.0 and 0.4 possess about 36 degrees C and 39 degrees C, respectively, compared with 32 degrees C for homopolymer PNIPAAm. The critical aggregation temperature was investigated using fluorescence excitation spectrum of pyrene as a sequestered guest molecule based upon the sharp increase of the I-338/I-333 value. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.