A series of optically active dendrons with a primary amino group at the terminal were prepared from L- or D-glutamic acid, and their helicity induction abilities for a poly(phenylacetylene) bearing a phosphonate pendant were characterized with ultraviolet-visible and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The magnitude of the Cotton effects of the polymer induced by the dendrons significantly increased upon complexation with a higher generation dendron. The effect of the chirality of the glutamate residues (L and D) on the helicity induction was also studied. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.