Spherical co-assemblies were generated from an equivalent-molar-ratio mixture of amphiphilic poly(amidoamine) dendrons that were modified with focal carbazole and/or pyrene chromophores from the first to the third generation (DnCz I and DnPy, where n = 1, 2, 3 denotes the generation of dendrons) in water at a concentration of 3.0 x 10(-6) M, lower than the individual critical aggregation concentrations (CAC) of either DnCz I or DnPy. UV-vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectra indicated that fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) from carbazole to pyrene units occurred efficiently within the co-assemblies. Further study implied that part of the carbazole and/or pyrene units stacked homogeneously in the co-assemblies via pi-pi stacking and the dendritic branches served as connectors due to the hydrogen-bonding interaction. (c) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.