The photophysical properties of two new tetra substituted derivatives of pyrene: 1,3,6,8-tetraethynylpyrene (TEP) and 1,3,6,8-tetrakis(trimethylsilylethynyl)pyrene (TEP-TMS) have been studied. Studies were done with respect to mirror image symmetry in the absorption and emission spectra and permissive or forbidden nature of S0-S1 transition, solvent sensitivity of the first and third vibronic bands and fluorescence anisotropy. Both the derivatives exhibited a strongly allowed S0-S1 transition, high fluorescence quantum yield, shorter fluorescence lifetime compared to pyrene and invariance of the vibronic band intensity ratio to solvent polarity. The behavior of the two pyrene derivatives validates the hypothesis "solvent polarity mediates vibronic coupling and therefore the emission band intensities, for forbidden S0-S1 transitions". The trimethylsilyl derivative (TEP-TMS) was characterized by a strong fluorescence in solid state. The tetraethynyl derivative (TEP) showed high fluorescence anisotropy comparable to the well-known anisotropy probe DPH in glycerol at 0 °C. The fluorescence intensities of TEP and TEP-TMS did not show any significant change in the temperature ranger 0-40 °C for a low viscous solvent like ethanol and in the range 0-60 °C in glycerol. Unlike pyrene, no excimer emission was observed even up to 10-3 M for TEP and TEP-TMS. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.