Two novel coordination polymers with helical chains, {[Zn(L)(H2O)]?H2O}n(1) and {[Zn(L)(p-bix)]?3.5H2O}n(2), where H2 L = 5-(4-hydroxypyridinium-1-ylmethyl) isophthalic acid and p-bix = 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene, have been hydrothermally synthesized, and charac-terized by elemental analysis, powder X-ray diffraction(PXRD), IR, thermal gravimetric analyses(TGA) and also by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both complexes 1 and 2 crystallize inmonoclinic, space group P21/c. Compound 1 displays a two-dimensional(2D) structure with two distinct types of helical chains; 2 shows a layered coordination polymer with two types of helical chains and features an interesting 2D→3D interdigitated architecture. Meanwhile, the luminescent properties of 1 and 2 have also been investigated in detail. Two novel coordination polymers with helical chains, {[Zn (L) (H2O)] • H2O} n (1) and {[Zn (L) (p-bix)] • 3.5H2O} n = 5- (4-hydroxypyridinium-1-ylmethyl) isophthalic acid and p-bix = 1,4-bis (imidazol- 1 -ylmethyl) benzene, have been hydrothermally synthesized, and charac-terized by elemental analysis, diffraction (PXRD), IR, thermal gravimetric analyzes (TGA) and also by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both complexes 1 and 2 crystallize in monoclinic, space group P21 / c. Two distinct types of helical chains; 2 shows a layered coordination polymer with two types of helical chains and features an interesting 2D → 3D interdigitated architecture. Meanwhile, the luminescent properties of 1 and 2 have also been investigated in detail.