Hydrothermal reactions of 1,2-bis(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)ethane (btre) with copper(II), zinc(II), and cadmium(II) salts have yielded the dinuclear complexes [Zn2Cl4(mu2-btre)2] (1) and [Zn2Br4(mu2-btre)2] (2), the one-dimensional coordination polymer infinity1[Zn(NCS)2(2-btre)] (3), the two-dimensional networks infinity2[Cu2(mu2-Cl)2(mu4-btre)] (4), infinity2[Cu2(mu2-Br)2(mu4-btre)] (5), and infinity2{[Cd6(mu3-OH)2(mu3-SO4)4(mu4-btre)3(H2O)6](SO4).6H2O} (6), and the three-dimensional frameworks infinity3{[Cu(mu4-btre)]ClO4.0.25H2O} (7), 3{[Zn(mu4-btre)(mu2-btre)](ClO4)2} (8), infinity3{[Cd(mu4-btre)(mu2-btre)](ClO4)2} (9), and infinity3[Cu2(mu2-CN)2(mu4-btre)] (10, 2-fold 3D interpenetrated framework). The copper-containing products 4, 5, 7, and 10 contain the metal in the +1 oxidation state, from a simultaneous redox and self-assembly reaction of the Cu(II) starting materials. The cyanide-containing framework 10 has captured the CN- ions from the oxidative btre decomposition. The perchlorate frameworks 7, 8, or 9 react in an aqueous NH4+PF6- solution with formation of the related PF6--containing frameworks. The differences in the metal-btre bridging mode (mu2-kappaN1:N1', mu2-kappaN1:N2 or mu4-kappaN1:N2:N1':N2') and the btre ligand symmetry can be correlated with different signal patterns in the 13C cross polarization magic angle spinning (CPMAS) NMR spectra. Compounds 2, 4, 5 and 7 to 10 exhibit fluorescence at 403-481 nm upon excitation at 270-373 nm which is not seen in the free btre ligand.