Poly[pentakis(μ-cyanido-κ2N:C)tris(5-phenyl-2,2′-bipyridine-κ2N,N′)pentacopper(I)]

The hydrothermal reaction of Cu(acetate)(2) and K-3[Fe(CN)(6)] with 5-phenyl-2,2'-bipyridine (5-ph-2,2'-bpy) in water yields the polymeric title complex, [Cu-5(CN)(5)(C16H12N2)(3)](n), which consists of ribbons along the a axis, constructed from 26-membered {Cu-10(CN)(8)} rings. In these rings, the metal atoms are bridged by cyanide groups, except for one close Cu center dot center dot center dot Cu contact [2.7535 (12) angstrom], which can be considered as ligand-unsupported. Within the rings, one Cu atom has a distorted tetrahedral geometry through the coordination to two N atoms from 5-ph-2,2'-bpy and two N/C atoms from two cyanide groups. Two Cu atoms have a trigonal planar environment being coordinated by three cyanide groups and two other Cu atoms have a distorted square planar geometry through coordination to two N atoms from 5-ph-2,2'-bpy and two N/C atoms from two cyanide groups.