Low‐dimensional compounds containing cyano groups. II. catena‐Poly[[(2,2′‐bipyridine‐κ2N:N′)(dicyanamido‐κN)copper(II)]‐μ‐dicyanamido‐κ2N:N′]

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Cu(C₂N₃)₂(C₁₀H₈N₂)]_n, is formed by neutral zigzag chains of the [–NC–N–CN–Cu{(bpy)N(CN)₂}–NC–N–CN–] type run­ning along the c axis (bpy is 2,2′‐bi­pyridine). The Cu atoms in the chains are pentacoordinated in the form of a distorted tetragonal pyramid, with a CuN₅ chromophore. The coordination sites are occupied by two N atoms of one bpy mol­ecule in the basal plane [Cu—N 2.018 (4) and 2.025 (2) Å] and by three terminal N atoms of two dicyan­amide ligands. One of the dicyan­amide ligands is coordinated in a monodentate fashion through a nitrile N atom in the basal plane [Cu—N 1.963 (4) Å]. The second acts as an end‐to‐end bridging ligand to a neighbouring Cu atom and is coordinated by one nitrile N atom in the basal plane [Cu—N 2.001 (2) Å], while the second nitrile N atom occupies the apical position [Cu—N 2.159 (2) Å] and originates from the bridge connecting another Cu atom. The shortest intrachain Cu?Cu distance is 8.212 (1) Å, as a consequence of the large bridging ligand, whereas the minimum interchain distance between Cu atoms is only 5.77 (7) Å, because of the interdigitation of the chains.