Two metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), namely, [Zn-2(m-2mbix)(HEA)(2)center dot 2H(2)O](n) (1) and {[Ni(m-2mbix)(HEA)center dot 3H(2)O}(n) (2) (m-2mbix = 1,3-bis(2-methylimidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene, H(2)HEA = 1,2-phenylenediacetic acid), respectively, were successfully synthesized under hydrothermal conditions and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Single crystal structures revealed that 1 and 2 were two-dimensional structure and two-dimensional (4,4)-topological layer structure, respectively. In addition, the complex 1 can function as a turn-off luminescent sensor to sensitively and selectively sensing Fe3+, CrO42- and Cr2O72- ions in aqueous media. (C) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.