Two novel materials, [M(C 6 H 5 O 7 )(C 6 H 6 O 7 )(C 6 H 7 O 7 )(H 2 O)] . H 2 O (M=La(1a), Ce(1b)) and [Ce 2 (C 2 O 4 )(C 6 H 6 O 7 ) 2 ] . 4H 2 O (2), with a metal-organic framework (MOF) were prepared with hydrothermal reactions and characterized with photoluminescence, magnetic susceptibility, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray powder diffraction in situ. The crystal structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 crystallized in triclinic space group P1̄ (No. 2); compound 2 crystallized in monoclinic space group P2 1 /c (No. 14). The structure of 1 is built from a 1D MOF, composed of deprotonated citric ligands of three kinds. Compound 2 contains a 2D MOF structure consisting of citrate and oxalate ligands; the oxalate ligand arose from the decomposition in situ of citric acid in the presence of Cu II ions. Photoluminescence spectra of compounds 1b and 2 revealed transitions between the 5d 1 excited state and two levels of the 4f 1 ground state ( 2 F 5/2 and 2 F 7/2 ). Compounds 1b and 2 containing Ce III ion exhibit a paramagnetic property with weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the two adjacent magnetic centers.