Two new complexes, namely [Cd(L) 2 (2,2 0 -bipy)] (1) and [(HL)(4,4 0 -bipy) 0.5 ((H 2 O)] (2) (HL D 3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid, 2,2 0 -bipy D 2,2 0 -bipyridine and 4,4 0 -bipy D 4,4 0 -bipyridine), have been synthesized and structurally characterized by single-crystal diffraction analysis. The structure of complex 1 is molecular dimer, which is connected by stronger hydrogen bond interactions to result in a 2D network. While complex 2 is composed of two organic ligands molecular dimer and one water molecule, which also could be linked into a 2D supramolecular architecture via hydrogen bond interactions. Luminescence and its lifetime for compound 1 have also been explored.