Based on polyphosphine ligands, four complexes, [Cu-2(pba)(2)(pipzdtc)]center dot 2DMF (1), [Cu-2(pbaa) (Et-dtc)(2)]center dot 2DMF (2), [Cu-2(pnaa) (Et-dtc)(2)] (3) and [Ag-2(pnaa) (Et-dtc)(2)]center dot 2CH(3)CN (4) (pba = N,N-bis((diphenylphosphino)methyl)benzenamine, pbaa = N,N,N',N'-tetrakis((di-phenylphosphino)methyl)benzene-1,4-diamine, pnaa = N,N,N',N'-tetrakis((diphenylphosphino)-methyl)naphthalene-1,5-diamine, Etdtc = N-ethyldithiocarbamate and pipzdtc = piperazine-1,4-dicarbodithiolate), have been synthesized and characterized by IR, ESI-MS and X-ray crystal structure analysis. The structural analysis shows that each Cu+/Ag+ in complexes 1-4 is four coordinate P2S2, and adopts a distorted-tetrahedral geometry, and 1D infinite chain of complexes 2 and 4 is built by C-H center dot center dot center dot pi interaction of phenyl rings from pbaa and pnaa. All these indicate that the change of polyphosphine ligands and metal ions might be the key of construction of 1D infinite chain. Moreover, the emission spectra of complexes 2-4 in DMF solvent are also observed. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.