The family of compounds [Mn(dca)(2)(bPa)] (1), [Fe(dca)(2)(bpa)] (2), [Co(dca)(2)(bPa)] (3), [Zn(dca)(2)(bpa)] (4), and [Ni(dca)(bpa)(2)]dca center dot 6H(2)O (5), with dca = dicyanamide and bpa = 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, has been synthesized. These compounds have been characterized by single crystal (1, 2, 4, and 5) and powder X-ray diffraction (3), by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), UV-vis, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies, and by magnetic measurements. Compound 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group, Z=4, with a=16.757(6), b=9.692(3), and c=13.073(4) angstrom, and beta = 123.02(2)degrees; Compound 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group, Z=4, with a=16.588(5), b=9.661(3), c=12.970(5) angstrom, and beta=123.16(3)degrees; Compound 4 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group, Z=4, with a = 16.519(2), b = 9.643(2), c = 12.943(2) angstrom, and beta = 123.15(1)degrees; Compound 5 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/c space group, Z=4, with a=18.504(4), b=19.802(3), and c=8.6570(18) angstrom, and beta = 99.74(2)degrees. The compounds 1-4 are isostructural and show a one dimensional (1D) disposition, with the metal(II) ions bridged by double mu(1,5) dca ligands and unusually by a third bridge consisting of the bpa ligand, which adopts a very low torsion angle to accommodate in the structure. This kind of structure is unusual, even considering the voluminous bpa bridge. The compound 5 shows a 3D structure with layers of Ni-bpa joined by single dca bridges. Magnetic susceptibility measurements show antiferromagnetic couplings, increasing for 1-3. Compound 5 shows very slight antiferromagnetic interactions.