A double-layered zinc(II) coordination polymer with the ligand 3,5-bis(carboxylatomethoxy)benzoate

In the title compound, poly[hexaaquabis[mu(4)-3,5-bis(carboxylatomethoxy)benzoato]trizinc(II)], [Zn-3(C11H7O8)(2)(H2O)(6)](n), there are two crystallographically distinct Zn-II cations which are bridged by polycarboxylate ligands in a mu(4)-bridging mode. A pair of ligands bridges adjacent Zn atoms to give centrosymmetric dimetal building blocks which act as four-connected nodes to be further interlinked into a two-dimensional double-layered framework with (4,4) topology. Other Zn atoms, lying on inversion centres, occupy the cavities of this topological structure. This submission shows a versatile polycarboxylate ligand with rigid and flexible functional groups, the co-operation and complementarity of which would meet the coordination requirements of a variety of topological structures.