Poly­[[μ2‐aqua‐bis­[(1,10‐phenanthro­line)nickel(II)]]‐di‐μ2,μ4‐5‐nitro‐1,3‐benzene­di­carboxyl­ato]

The reaction of Ni(CH₃COO)₂·4H₂O, 5‐nitro‐1,3‐benzene­di­carboxylic acid (H₂nmbdc), 1,10‐phenanthroline and water under hydro­thermal conditions yields the first reported two‐dimensional nickel coordination polymer with water‐ and carboxyl­ate‐bridged dimeric units, viz. Ni₂(C₈H₃NO₆)₂(C₁₂H₈N₂)₂(H₂O)]_n. The coordination polyhedron of the Ni^II ion in the title structure is an octahedron defined by an N₂O₄ donor set. The water mol­ecule is positioned on a mirror plane and the 5‐nitro‐1,3‐benzene­di­carboxylate group is located on a twofold axis. Two types of nmbdc²⁻ coordination mode are observed: one is a bis‐monodentate mode, μ₂‐nmbdc²⁻, and the other is a bis‐bridging mode, μ₄‐nmbdc²⁻. The dimeric unit in the title compound is similar to the structural moiety in urease. In the two‐dimensional framework in the title compound, strong stacking interactions between benzene rings (μ₂‐nmbdc²⁻ and μ₄‐nmbdc²⁻) and 1,10‐phenanthroline ligands are observed.