Binuclear and chain‐structure zinc(II) complexes constructed from 3,4‐dimethoxy‐trans‐cinnamic acid and N‐donor coligands 4‐(1H‐pyrazol‐3‐yl)pyridine and 4,4′‐bipyridine

3,4‐Dimethoxy‐trans‐cinnamic acid (Dmca) reacts with zinc sulfate in the presence of 4‐(1H‐pyrazol‐3‐yl)pyridine (L₁) or 4,4′‐bipyridine (L₂) under hydrothermal conditions to afford two mixed‐ligand coordination complexes, namely tetrakis(μ‐3,4‐dimethoxy‐trans‐cinnamato‐κ²O:O′)bis4‐(1H‐pyrazol‐3‐yl)pyridine]zinc(II)] heptahydrate, Zn₂(C₁₁H₁₁O₄)₄(C₈H₇N₃)₂]·7H₂O or Zn₂(Dmca)₄(L₁)₂]·7H₂O, (I), and catena‐polybis(3,4‐dimethoxy‐trans‐cinnamato‐κO)zinc(II)]‐μ‐4,4′‐bipyridine‐κ²N:N′], Zn(C₁₁H₁₁O₄)₂(C₁₀H₈N₂)]_n or Zn(Dmca)₂(L₂)]_n, (II). The Zn^II centres in the two compounds display different coordination polyhedra. In complex (I), the Zn^II cation is five‐coordinated with a pseudo‐square‐pyramidal geometry, while in complex (II) the Zn^II cation sits on a twofold axis and adopts a distorted tetrahedral coordination environment. Complex (I) features a centrosymmetric binuclear paddle‐wheel‐like structure, while complex (II) shows a chain structure. This study emphasizes the significant effect of the coordination mode of both carboxylate‐group and N‐donor coligands on the formation of complex structures.