A series of trimethylsilyl-protected and terminal mono- and bis-alkynes based on 9,9-dioctylfluorene, 2-(trimethylsilylethynyl)-9,9-dioctylfluorene 1a, 2-ethynyl-9,9-dioctylfluorene 1b, 2,7-bis(trimethylsilylethynyl)-9,9-dioctylfluorene 2a, 2,7-bis(ethynyl)-9,9-dioctylfluorene 2b, have been synthesised. Reaction of trans-[(PnBu3)2PtCl2] with 2 equivalents of the terminal ethyne 1b yields the mononuclear platinum(II) diyne 3, reaction of trans-[(Ph)(Et3P)2PtCl] with 0.5 equivalents of the diterminal ethyne 2b gives the dinuclear platinum(II) diyne 4 while 1 : 1 reaction between trans-[(PnBu3)2PtCl2] and 2b gives the platinum(II) poly-yne 5. Treatment of 2,5-dioctyloxy-1,4-diiodobenzene with 1b in 1 : 2 stoichiometry produces the organic di-yne 6 while 1 : 1 reaction between 2,5-dioctyloxy-1,4-diiodobenzene and 2b, 2,7-bis(ethynyl)fluorene or 2,7-bis(ethynyl)fluoren-9-one produces the organic co-poly-ynes 7–9. All the new materials have been characterised by analytical and spectroscopic methods and the single crystal X-ray structures of 2a and 3 have been determined. The diynes and poly-ynes are soluble in organic solvents and are readily cast into thin films. Optical spectroscopic measurements reveal that the attachment of octyl side-chains on the fluorenyl spacer reduces inter-chain interaction in the poly-ynes while a fluorenonyl spacer creates a donor–acceptor interaction along the rigid backbone of the organometallic poly-ynes and organic co-poly-ynes.