catena‐Poly[[silver(I)‐μ‐[9,10‐bis(1H‐benzimidazol‐1‐ylmethyl)anthracene]‐κ2N3:N3′] bis(nitrato‐κO)silver(I)]

Yellow needle‐shaped crystals of the title compound, {Ag(C₃₀H₂₂N₄)]Ag(NO₃)₂]}_n, were obtained by the reaction of AgNO₃ and 9,10‐bis(benzimidazol‐1‐ylmethyl)anthracene (L) in a 2:1 ratio. The asymmetric unit consists of two Ag^I cations, one half L ligand and one nitrate anion. One Ag^I cation occupies a crystallographic inversion centre and links two N‐atom donors of two distinct L ligands to form an infinite one‐dimensional coordination polymer. The second Ag^I cation lies on a crystallographic twofold axis and is coordinated by two O‐atom donors of two nitrate anions to form an Ag(NO₃)₂]^? counter‐ion. The polymeric chains are linked into a supramolecular framework via weak Ag...O 3.124 (5) Å] and Ag...π (2.982 Å) interactions (π is the centroid of an outer anthracene benzene ring). The π interactions contain two short Ag...C contacts 2.727 (6) and 2.765 (6) Å], which can be considered to define Ag–η²‐anthracene bonding interactions. In comparison with a previously reported binuclear Ag^I complex Du, Hu, Zhang, Zeng & Bu (2008). CrystEngComm, 10 , 1866–1874], this new one‐dimensional coordination polymer was obtained by changing the metal–ligand ratio during the synthesis.