Six novel transition-metal-organic frameworks, [Cu(mu(2)-HMOPhIDC)(H2O)](n) (H3MOPhIDC = 2-p-methoxyphenyl-1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid) (1), [Zn(mu(2)-HMOPhIDC)(2,2'-bipy)](n) (2,2'-bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine) (2), [Co(mu(2)-HMOPhIDC)(2,2'-bipy)](n) (3), [Co(mu(2)-HMOPhIDC)(phen)](n) (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) (4), [Cd-1.5(mu(2)-H2MOPhIDC)(mu(3)-HMOPhIDC)(H2O)](n) (5) and {[Co-1.5(mu(2)-H2MOPhIDC)(mu(3)-HMOPhIDC)(py)]center dot 2H(2)O}(n) (py = pyridine) (6) have been successfully synthesized under hydrothermal conditions, and characterized by means of elemental analyses, IR and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The organic ligand H3MOPhIDC can be singly deprotonated or doubly deprotonated, and coordinate to metal ions in various modes. Polymers 1-4 display an infinite polymeric chain structure connected by mu(2)-HMOPhIDC2- ligands, but show different crystal packing fashions. Polymers 5 and 6 exhibit two-dimensional sheet structures built from double-stranded chains. The thermal properties of polymers 1-6 and luminescence properties of 2 and 5 have been determined. Also, the magnetic properties of polymers 1, 3, 4 and 6 have been investigated.