Poly[penta-kis-(μ-cyanido-κN:C)tris-(5-phenyl-2,2'-bipyridine-κN,N')penta-copper(I)].

The hydro-thermal reaction of Cu(acetate)(2) and K(3)[Fe(CN)(6)] with 5-phenyl-2,2'-bipyridine (5-ph-2,2'-bpy) in water yields the polymeric title complex, Cu(5)(CN)(5)(C(16)H(12)N(2))(3), which consists of ribbons along the a axis, constructed from 26-membered {Cu(10)(CN)(8)} rings. In these rings, the metal atoms are bridged by cyanide groups, except for one close Cu⋯Cu contact [2.7535 (12) Å], which can be considered as ligand-unsupported. Within the rings, one Cu atom has a distorted tetra-hedral geometry through the coordination to two N atoms from 5-ph-2,2'-bpy and two N/C atoms from two cyanide groups. Two Cu atoms have a trigonal planar environment being coordinated by three cyanide groups and two other Cu atoms have a distorted square planar geometry through coordination to two N atoms from 5-ph-2,2'-bpy and two N/C atoms from two cyanide groups.