catena-Poly[hemi[bis-(4'-phenyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine-κN)copper(II)] [cuprate(I)-di-μ(2)-thio-cyanato-κN:S;κS:N]].

Reaction of 4'-phenyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (phtpy), copper acetate hydrate and ammonium thio-cyanate under solvothermal conditions led to the formation of the title compound, {[Cu(C(21)H(15)N(3))(2)][Cu(2)(NCS)(4)]}(n). The structure is composed of discrete Cu(phtpy)(2) cations and polymeric anionic {Cu(SCN)(2)} chains propagating along [010]. The central Cu(2+) ion in the cation is coordinated by two tridentate chelating phtpy ligands in a distorted octa-hedral geometry. In each of the two crystallographically independent centrosymmetric anions, the Cu(I) atoms are bridged in a 1,3-μ(2)-bridging mode by two S and two N atoms, resulting in a distorted tetrahedral CuN(2)S(2) coordination. The Cu(phtpy)(2) cations are fixed between these polymers by inter-molecular C-H⋯S hydrogen bonds.