Crystal structure of <i>catena</i>-poly[[diaquadiimidazolecobalt(II)]-μ₂-2,3,5,6-tetrabromobenzene-1,4-dicarboxylato]

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Co(C₈Br₄O₄)(C₃H₄N₂)₂(H₂O)₂] _<i>n</i> or [Co(Br₄bdc)(im)₂(H₂O)₂] _<i>n</i> , comprises half of Co^II ion, tetra-bromo-benzene-dicarboxylate (Br₄bdc^2-), imidazole (im) and a water mol-ecule. The Co^II ion exhibits a six-coordinated octa-hedral geometry with two oxygen atoms of the Br₄bdc^2- ligand, two oxygen atoms of the water mol-ecules, and two nitro-gen atoms of the im ligands. The carboxyl-ate group is nearly perpendicular to the benzene ring and shows monodentate coordination to the Co^II ion. The Co^II ions are bridged by the Br₄bdc^2- ligand, forming a one-dimensional chain. The carboxyl-ate group acts as an inter-molecular hydrogen-bond acceptor toward the im ligand and a coordinated water mol-ecule. The chains are connected by inter-chain N-H⋯O(carboxyl-ate) and O-H(water)⋯O(carboxyl-ate) hydrogen-bonding inter-actions and are not arranged in parallel but cross each other <i>via</i> inter-chain hydrogen bonding and π-π inter-actions, yielding a three-dimensional network.