A novel threefold‐interpenetrating primitive cubic network based on a dinuclear Zn2 node

In the mixed‐ligand metal–organic polymeric compound poly[[μ₂‐1,4‐bis(imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene](μ₂‐terephthalato)dizinc(II)], [Zn₂(C₈H₄O₄)₂(C₁₂H₁₀N₄)]_n or [Zn₂(bdc)₂(bib)]_n [H₂bdc is terephthalic acid and bib is 1,4‐bis(imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene], the asymmetric unit contains one Zn^II ion, with two half bdc anions and one half bib molecule lying around inversion centers. The Zn^II ion is in a slightly distorted tetrahedral environment, coordinated by three carboxylate O atoms from three different bdc anions and by one bib N atom. The crystal structure is constructed from the secondary building unit (SBU) [Zn₂(CO₂)₂N₂O₂], in which the two metal centers are held together by two bdc linkers with bis(syn,syn‐bridging bidentate) bonding modes. The SBU is connected by bdc bridges to form a two‐dimensional grid‐like (4,4)‐layer, which is further pillared by the bib ligand. Topologically, the dinuclear SBU can be considered to be a six‐connected node, and the extended structure exhibits an elongated primitive approximately cubic framework. The three‐dimensional framework possesses a large cavity with dimensions of approximately 10 × 13 × 17 Å in cross‐section. The potential porosity is filled with mutual interpenetration of two identical equivalent frameworks, generating a novel threefold interpenetrating network with an α‐polonium topology [Abrahams, Hoskins, Robson & Slizys (2002). CrystEngComm, 4 , 478–482].