A series of novel three-dimensional lanthanide coordination polymers with the building block [Ln2(dcob)6(DMF)2(H2O)2], [Ln(dcob)(DMF)(H2O)]n [Ln = Pr (1), Nd (2), Sm (3), Eu (4), Gd (5), Tb (6), Dy (7), Er (8), H3dcob = 2-(3,5-dicarboxybenzyloxy) benzoic acid, DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide], were prepared under hydrothermal conditions and characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. 3, 4, 6 and 7 show luminescence of the trivalent lanthanides.