Two polymeric structures with a benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylate ligand acting in μ2- and μ4-bridging modes

catena-Polytetraaquabis(1H-pyrazole-κN²)nickel(II)] diaquabis(1H-pyrazole-κN²)nickel(II)]-μ-benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylato-κ²O¹:O⁴] tetrahydrate], {Ni(C₃H₄N₂)₂(H₂O)₄]Ni(C₁₀H₂O₈)(C₃H₄N₂)₂(H₂O)₂]·4H₂O}_n, (I), and poly(μ₄-benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylato-κ⁴O¹:O²:O⁴:O⁵)octakis(1H-pyrazole-κN²)dicobalt(II)] tetrahydrate], {Co₂(C₁₀H₂O₈)(C₃H₄N₂)₈]·4H₂O}_n, (II), are polymeric compounds crystallizing in the space group P, with two independent metallic cations and one benzene-1,2,4,5-tetracarboxylate (btc) anion, each lying on symmetry centres. Individual coordination polyhedra are regular and the main differences are in the way the btc anion binds μ₂ in (I) and μ₄ in (II)], promoting a `chain-like' one-dimensional structure in (I) and a `sieve-like' two-dimensional motif in (II).