Five Cd(II)/Zn(II) complexes [Cd(1,2-bdc)(pz)(2)(H2O)](n) (1), [Cd1Cd2(btec)(H2O)(6)](n) (2), [Cd(3,4-Pdc) (H2O](n) (3), [Zn(2,5-pdc)(H2O)(4)]center dot 2H(2)O (4) and {[Zn(2,5-pdc)(H2O)(2)]center dot H2O}(n) (5) (H(2)bdc=1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, pz=pyrazole, H(4)btec=1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid, H(2)pdc=pyridine-dicarboxylic acid) were hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, surface photovoltage spectroscopy, XRD, TG analysis, IR and UV-vis spectra and elemental analysis. Structural analyses show that complexes 1-3 are 1D, 2D and 3D Cd(II) coordination polymers, respectively. Complex 4 is a mononuclear Zn(II) complex. Complex 5 is a 3D Zn(II) coordination polymer. The surface photoelectric properties of complexes were investigated by SPS. The results indicate that all complexes exhibit photoelectric responses in the range of 300-600 nm, which reveals that they all possess certain photoelectric conversion properties. By the comparative analyses, it can be found that the species and coordination micro-environment of central metal ion, the species and property of ligands affect the intensity and scope of photoelectric response. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.