Abstract The well-known unsubstituted “Hamilton receptor” was monofunctionalized with an amino group and attached at the periphery of poly (propyleneamine) dendrimers through the use of an activated ester. Four generations of Hamilton-receptor-functionalized dendrimers (HR-dendrimers) were synthesized and characterized by 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The photophysical properties of the HR-dendrimers ...