μ‐1,2‐Bis(4‐pyridyl)ethene‐κ2N:N′‐bis(tetraaqua­{4‐[2‐(4‐pyridinio)­ethenyl]pyridine‐κN}cobalt(II)) hexaaqua­cobalt(II) tetrakis(sulfate) octahydrate

The title compound, [Co₂(C₁₂H₁₁N₂)₂(C₁₂H₁₀N₂)(H₂O)₈][Co(H₂O)₆](SO₄)₄·8H₂O, consists of bis(4‐pyridyl)ethenedicobalt(II) cations, hexaaqua­cobalt cations, sulfate anions and water solvent molecules that are linked by hydrogen bonds into a network structure. In the hexaaquacobalt cation, the six water molecules are coordinated in an octahedral geometry to the Co atom, which lies on an inversion centre. The other cation is a 1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)ethene‐bridged centrosymmetric dimer, consisting of protonated 1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)­ethene cations, a bridging 1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)ethene ligand and tetraaqua­cobalt cations. Each Co atom is six‐coordinated by four water molecules and two N atoms from a protonated 1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)ethene cation and the bridging 1,2‐bis(4‐pyridyl)­ethene ligand, and the geometry around each Co atom is octahedral.