Bis(mu-4-formylbenzoato-kappa(2) O:O ') bis[(4-formylbenzoato-kappa(2) O, O ') bis(isonicotin-amide-kappa N-1) copper(II)]

The asymmetric unit of the centrosymmetric dinuclear title compound, [Cu-2(C8H5O3) 4(C6H6N2O) 4], contains one half of the complex molecule. The Cu II atoms are bridged by the carboxylate groups of two 4-formylbenzoate (FOB) anions. Besides the two bridging FOB anions, one additional chelating FOB anion and two isonicotinamide (INA) ligands complete the distorted CuN2O4 octahedral coordination of each Cu2+ cation. Within the asymmetric unit, the benzene and pyridine rings are oriented at dihedral angles of 25.1 (3) and 12.6 (3)degrees, respectively. In the crystal, N-H center dot center dot center dot O and C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds link the molecules into a three-dimensional network. pi-pi contacts between the pyridine rings [shortest centroid-centroid distance = 3.821 (3) angstrom] may further stabilize the crystal structure. One of the formyl groups of the two FOB anions is disordered over two sets of sites with an occupancy ratio of 0.65: 0.35.