A novel approach to the analysis of modulated single molecule fluorescence intensity traces allowing the characterization of unknown molecular conformations is reported and applied to a bichromophoric perylenemonoimide-end-capped terfluorene. Intramolecular energy transfer phenomena are observed and the data suggest a predominant occurrence of a banana-shape-like chain-conformation in films. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.