Three cobalt coordination polymers, namely {[Co(4-pmntd) 2 (CF 3 SO 3 )(H 2 O)]Á(CF 3 SO 3 )Á(C 2 H 5 OH)Á0.5 (HCCl 3 )ÁH 2 O} n (1), {[Co(4-pmntd)(H 2 O) 4 ]Á(NO 3 ) 2 ÁH 2 O} n(2), and {[Co(4-pmntd)(pta)(CH 3 OH) 2 ]Á2(CHCl 3 )} n (3) (4-pmntd = N,N 0 -bis(4-pyridylmethyl)-naphthalene diimide; pta = terephthalate), have been synthesized by reactions of 4-pmntd with Co(CF 3 SO 3 ) 2 Á4H 2 O, Co(NO 3 ) 2 Á6H 2 O, and Co(pta), respectively. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, powder X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analyses, IR spectroscopy, and singlecrystal X-ray diffraction. In complex 1, the ligand adopts U-mode, resulting in a dumbbell-like 2D (4, 4)-sql net structure in a non-interpenetrating edge-to-edge arrangement. The Z-mode ligand arrangement leads to 1D zigzag chains for complex 2, and a 2D twofold interpenetrating bat-like (4, 4)-sql net for complex 3. A solution of complex 2 in DMF showed a change in color and remarkably enhanced fluorescence upon the addition of two equivalents of acetate, whereas other anions did not induce a color change. Hence, complex 2 can act as a highly promising acetate-detecting reagent. Their thermal and the gas adsorption properties of complexes 1 and 3 were investigated.