catena-Poly[[[bis(4-methylbenzoato-κ2O,O′)zinc(II)]-μ-4,4′-bipyridine-κ2N:N′] tetrahydrate]

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, {[Zn(C7H7O2)(2)-(C10H8N2)]center dot 4H(2)O}(n), contains a highly distorted octahedral Zn-II metal center strongly coordinated by two N atoms of two 4,4'-bipyridine (4,4'-bipy) ligands and chelated by two 4-methylbenzoate anions. The crystallographic inversion center and glide plane present at the center of the C-C single bond of 4,4'-bipy, along with the cis coordination motif of the 4,4'-bipy, lead to one-dimensional zigzag chains. There are a large number of water molecules in the crystal structure, which also form one-dimensional chains through O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds.