With interest in clustering of bioactive chitooligosaccharides of more than dp 6, a chitoheptaose derivative 1 carrying tetradecanoyl and tetradecyloxy groups at the NH and the C-1 of the reducing end was prepared. The hydrophobic groups were introduced step by step after completion of the heptasaccharide skeleton using a chitobiose derivative as the elongation unit. Micelle formation of 1 in water was confirmed by dye solubilization check. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.