Linear carbon chains (LCCs) were successfully produced by laser generated plasmas in different solvents starting from graphite rods. An identification of the prepared carbon structures was carried out from the analysis of the UV-vis spectra. Moreover, a systematic analysis of the DFT computed structural and electronic response of both polyynic and cumulenic model molecules, as a function of the solvents with different polarity, was carried out. The comparison between the calculated UV-vis spectra of polyynes series with the experimental ones clearly indicates that polyynes are the dominant species produced by the ablation process. The optical limiting properties were investigated by the Z-scan method, using a nanosecond pulsed laser. Both the different solvents and the carbon chain length distribution have a driving role in the nonlinear optical response. Hence, the effect of the solvent polarity and acidity was taken into account to explain the nature of the optical limiting behaviour. (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.