Complexation between a water-soluble calix[4]pyrrole and a ditopic pyridine N-oxide derivative in aqueous media produces a bola-type supra-amphiphile that self-assembles to produce higher order morphologies, including multilamellar vesicles and micelles depending on the pH. The present bola-type supra-amphiphile exhibits strong fluorescence due to structural changes and aggregation induced by host guest complexation. The resulting structures may be used to recognize, encapsulate, and release non-fluorescent, water-soluble small molecules.