Crystal structures of {μ-,'-bis-[(pyridin-3-yl)meth-yl]ethanedi-amide}tetra-kis-(di-methyl-carbamodi-thio-ato)dizinc(II) di-methyl-formamide disolvate and {μ-,'-bis-[(pyridin-3-yl)meth-yl]ethanedi-amide}tetra-kis-(di--propyl-carbamodi-thio-ato)dizinc(II).

The title structures, [Zn(CHNS)(CHNO)]·2CHNO (I) and [Zn(CHNS)(CHNO)] (II), each feature a bidentate, bridging bipyridyl-type ligand encompassing a di-amide group. In (I), the binuclear compound is disposed about a centre of inversion, leading to an open conformation, while in (II), the complete mol-ecule is completed by the application of a twofold axis of symmetry so that the bridging ligand has a U-shape. In each of (I) and (II), the di-thio-carbamate ligands are chelating with varying degrees of symmetry, so the zinc atom is within an NS set approximating a square-pyramid for (I) and a trigonal-bipyramid for (II). The solvent di-methyl-formaide (DMF) mol-ecules in (I) connect to the bridging ligand amide-N-H⋯O(DMF) and various amide-, DMF-C-H⋯O(amide, DMF) inter-actions. The resultant three-mol-ecule aggregates assemble into a three-dimensional architecture C-H⋯π(pyridyl, chelate ring) inter-actions. In (II), undulating tapes sustained by amide-N-H⋯O(amide) hydrogen bonding lead to linear supra-molecular chains with alternating mol-ecules lying to either side of the tape; no further directional inter-actions are noted in the crystal.