Bis[tris(2,2'-bipyridine-kappa2N,N')ruthenium(II)] hexacyanoferrate(III) chloride octahydrate.

In the title compound, Ru(II)(C(10)H(8)N(2))(3)[Fe(III)(CN)(6)]Cl.8H(2)O, the Ru(bpy)(3) (bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine) cations and water molecules afford intriguing microporous honeycomb layers, while the Fe(CN)(6) anions and the remainder of the water molecules form anionic sheets based on extensive hydrogen-bonding networks. The cationic and anionic layers alternate along the c axis. The Fe atom in Fe(CN)(6) lies on an inversion centre and the axial cyano ligands are hydrogen bonded to the water molecules encapsulated within the micropores [N.O = 2.788 (5) A], giving an unusual interpenetration between the cationic and anionic layers. On the other hand, the in-plane cyano ligands are relatively weakly hydrogen bonded to the water molecules [N.O = 2.855 (7) and 2.881 (8) A] within the anionic sheets.