Two chiral three-dimensional (3-D) coordination polymers, [Cd4(μ3-HPhIDC)2(μ4-HPhIDC)2(H2O)] (1) and two achiral 3-D coordination polymers, [Mn1.5(μ3-PhIDC)(H2O)3] (2) and [Mn(μ3-HPhIDC)(H2O)]2} (3), have been synthesized by hydro(solvo)thermal reaction, employing 2-phenyl-1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid (H3PhIDC) as organic ligand, and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analyses, and IR spectra. Polymer 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic chiral space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) and exhibits a 3-D framework, in which two-dimensional (2-D) layers are composed of right-handed helices along the b-axis and are further pillared by μ4-HPhIDC2− linkages. Polymer 2 crystallizes in trigonal chiral space group R3̅ and presents a novel 3-D structure, which is generated from 2-D honeycomb-like layers, containing similar right-handed helical chains along the a or b axes, respectively. Polymer 3 also has a 3-D architecture and is composed of novel 2-D stairlike layers in the bc plane. The theoretical prediction of the phenyl substituent effect of the H3PhIDC ligand has first been presented.