Pyrene-doped L-glutamide-based lipidic derivatives with different alkyl lengths (C(n)-g-Pyr; n = 4, 8 and 12) were newly synthesized. All of the C(n)-g-Pyr dissolved and showed thermotopically and lyotropically-induced excimer formations accompanied by induction of the positive Cotton effect in their CD spectra, indicating chirally ordered stacking. However, when C(4)-g-Pyr and C(12)-g-Pyr were mixed in a certain molar ratio, an unusual CD pattern from positive to negative ones was observed. In this study, energy transfer efficiency was investigated in a binary system of C(n)-g-Pyr with C(12)-g-TPP. The results revealed that simple modification of the alkyl length of C(n)-g-Pyr enables enhancement of the energy transfer efficiency with C(12)-g-TPP. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.