Bis(2,2'-bipyridine-kappa N-2,N')(3-methylbenzoato-kappa O-2,O')zinc 3-methylbenzoate-3-methylbenzoic acid-water (1/1/2)

The title compound, [Zn(C8H7O2)(C10H8N2)(2)](C8H7O2)center dot C(8)H(8)O(2 center dot)2H(2)O, is comprised of a Zn2+ cation, two 2,2'-bipydine (bipy) ligands and one 3-methylbenzoate anion (L-) together with one uncoordinating L- anion, one uncoordinating HL molecule and two lattice water molecules. The Zn-II atom is coordinated by four N atoms of two bipy ligands and two O atoms from one L- ligand in a distorted octahedral geometry. Pairs of centrosymmetrically related complex molecules form dimers via slipped pi-stacking interactions between bipy ligands with an interplanar distance of 3.470 (4) angstrom. The dimers are linked into supramolecular chains along [111], via C-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds. The uncoordinated L- anions, HL molecules and water molecules are connected with each other via O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds, forming chains between the metal complex chains and binding them together via C-H center dot center dot center dot O contacts. The resulting layers parallel to (010) are further assembled into a three-dimensional supramolecular architecture through additional C-H center dot center dot center dot O interactions.