Two one-dimensional (1D) coordination polymers, [{LCd(O2NO) 2(DMF)2}2{(LCd(O2NO) 2(DMF))(DMF)}2]n (1) and [L′Cd(O 2NO)(ONO2)(DMF)2]n (2), having an aryl chromophoric unit and a flexible bis(imidazole) tail, 9,10- bis{(benzimidazol)methyl}anthracene (L) and 1,4-bis{(imidazol)methyl}benzene (L′), with various coordination modes have been obtained. Molecule 1 represents the first structurally characterized one dimensional coordination polymer consisting of both hepta- and octa-coordinated cadmium centers. In 1, two distorted pentagonal bipyramidal Cd(II) centers and two distorted triangular dodecahedral Cd(II) centers are alternately arranged via bridging bidentate N,N-chelating ligand, L. Whereas, a distorted pentagonal bipyramidal Cd(II) center is formed in 2 where the sterically less crowded L′ serves as a bridging bidentate N,N-chelating ligand. Furthermore, 1 and 2 have been characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR, UV-vis and fluorescent techniques. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.