5-(dimethylamino) isophthalic acid (H₂dia) and 1H-imidazole (mdz) were used as ligands to react with Zn(Ⅱ) or Cu(Ⅱ) metal salts to generate three new transition metal complexes [Zn(dia)(mdz)₂]·2H₂O (1), [Cu(dia)(mdz)₂ (DMF)] (2) and [Cu(dia)(mdz)₂]·H₂O (3). Their structures were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, IR, thermogravimetric analyses, and Hirshfeld surface analyses. The results revealed that complexes 1 and 2 possess 1D linear chains, each four-coordinated Zn(Ⅱ) of 1 is located in the geometric center of the distorted tetrahedron, but the Cu(Ⅱ) metal center of 2 is five-coordinated and holds a triangular bipyramidal geometry. The zigzag 1D chain of complex 3 was obtained by changing the solvent in the synthesis, and the four-coordinated Cu(Ⅱ) ion is in the centre of the square planar. Results indicate that the geometries of metal centers and synthetic solvents have important effects on the structures of complexes. Abundant intermolecular hydrogen bonding plays an important role in the stability of their 3D supramolecular structures. Thermogravimetric analyses revealed that the complexes have good thermal stabilities. Solid fluorescence analyses showed that complex 1 had excellent fluorescence, but the fluorescence intensities of complexes 2 and 3 were much lower than those of ligands.