A novel polyimidazole ligand bis(N-methylimidazol-2-yl)ketone (BIK) has been synthesized and its first metal complex [Zn(BIK)(2)](ClO4)(2) has been structurally established by X-ray crystallography. The zinc atom is coordinated by two chelating BIK ligands in a distorted tetrahedral N-4 environment with Zn-N bonds at 1.997(8) Angstrom and N-Zn-N bond angles at 93.5(5)-137.3(5)degrees.