Four novel topological nets of lanthanide metal-organic frameworks: [Sm-2(op)(3)(H2O)](n) (1), {Ln(2)(op)(2)(ox)(-H2O) (4)] center dot H2O}(n) (Ln = La, 2; Sm, 3), {[La-2(mp)(2)(ox)(H2O)(4)] center dot 2H(2)O}(n) (4), [La-2(op)(2)(mp)(H2O)(4)](n) (5) (op = ophthalate, mp = m-phthalate, and ox = oxalate), have been hydrothermally synthesized and characterized. Compound 1 exhibits novel (3,4,5,6)-connected five-nodal two-dimensional net, compound 2 and 3 show the (3,4)-connected V2O5 topologies, compound 4 has the (4,5)-connected topological net, and compound 5 shows the (4,5)-connected four-nodal three-dimensional network. Photoluminescent analyses of 1 and 3 show strong blue emission in the solid state at room temperature. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.