Four new 2,2’-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline complexes, namely [Mn(phenca)2]·(H2O)2 (1), [Cu4(phen)4(OH-)4(H2O)2](DMF)4(ClO4-)4(H2O) (2), [Cu2(2,2-bipy)2(C2O42-)(H2O)2(NO3)2] (3) and [Cu(2,2-bipy)2(ClO4-)](ClO4-) (4) (2,2’-bpy = 2,2’-bipyridine, Hphenca = 1,10-phenanthroline-2-carboxylic acid) have been synthesized by a hydrothermal reaction. The products were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy and X-ray crystal diffraction. While strong hydrogen bonds play central roles in the formation of the 3D structure, the combined influence of the weak interactions such as π···π interactions is also evident in the structures. A preliminary investigation on the ion exchange properties of the complexes is presented.