Eight lanthanide coordination polymers (Ln(,2-chdc)(form)(H2O)) have been solvothermally synthesized from the reaction of 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid (denoted as 1,2-chdcH(2)) with trivalent metallic cations (Ce3+ (1), Pr3+ (2), Nd3+ (3), Sm3+ (4), Eu3+ (5), Gd3+ (6), Tb3+ (7) and Dy3+ (8); from a nitrate or chloride source) in a mixed H2O/N, N-dimethylformamide solvent (DMF) at T = 100-150 degrees C (form = formate ligand). Their crystal structures are similar and built up from nine-fold coordinated lanthanide cations (LnO(9) - tricapped trigonal prism), linked to each other through three Ln-O-Ln bonds (face sharing connection mode of LnO(9) polyhedra) in order to generate infinite ribbons. The coordination sphere of the lanthanide center is ensured by oxygen atoms from the 1,2-chdcH(2) ligand and formate groups. The latter come from the partial solvothermal decomposition of DMF solvent. The resulting compounds exhibit a layered structure with infinite chains of LnO(9), connected to each other via the ditopic 1,2-chdc linker. Luminescence studies (steady-state excitation, emission and time-resolved decay measurements) have been performed on the compounds bearing Ce3+, Nd3+, Sm3+, Eu3+, Tb3+, and Dy3+ cations. The Nd compound (3) was found to be efficient for isoprene (methyl-2-butadiene, CH2 = CH-C(Me)= CH2) polymerization despite the presence of water in its molecular structure, affording a highly cis stereo-regular polymer