Two novel analogues of the highly fluorescent and potent antiviral compound, 5-(perylen-3-ylethynyl)-2′-deoxyuridine, containing elongated rigid linkers, butadiyne and 1,4-diethynylphenylene, were synthesized from the corresponding trimethylsilyl alkynes using a one-pot desilylation/Sonogashira reaction as the key step. Their spectral properties are compared to those of the parent perylenylethynyl nucleoside.