Crystal structure of catena-poly[bis(tetraethylammonium) [tetraaquatris(μ-dicyanamido-κ2 N 1:N 5)bis(dicyanamido-κN 1)dicobaltate(II)] dicyanamide]

The structure of the title compound, [N(C2H5)4]2[Co2(C2N3)5(H2O)4](C2N3), is a new example of a metal–dicyanamide coordination polymer which exhibits a unique three-dimensional framework of covalently linked CoII chains. All bridging dicyanamide ligands in the title structure are in the μ 1,5-bridging mode. The anionic CoII-dicyanamide network is templated by tetraethylammonium cations residing in a series of channels extending along the b axis where additional non-coordinating dicyanamidate anions are also located. The framework structure is further stabilized by O—H...N hydrogen bonding between aqua ligands and dicyanamido ligands or the dicyanamide anion. In addition, C—H...N interactions are present between the tetraethylammonium cations and dicyanamide amide nitrogen atoms.