Steady-state and picosecond transient spectroscopy measurements are applied to study the photo-physics of three carbazolenevinylene derivatives: alternatively conjugated oligomer of alkylated carbazole and phenylene/thiophene/furan (PBC/PBT/PBF), bridged by vinyl group. Their fluorescence spectra show a bathochromic phenomenon towards solvent polarity. The fluorescence decays of PBF are found to be biexponential, while those of PBT and PBC are simple single exponential. It is suggested that PBF is non-planar conformation at ground state and twists to planar conformation after excitation. This chain twisting process of PBF is verified by viscosity dependent fluorescence decay. (c) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.