Bis(μ-biphenyl-2,2'-dicarboxyl-ato)bis-[(2,2'-bipyridine)copper(II)].

The title compound, [Cu(2)(C(14)H(8)O(4))(2)(C(10)H(8)N(2))(2)], was obtained by solvothermal synthesis. The Cu(II) atom is coordinated by one chelating 2,2'-bipyridine ligand and two carboxyl groups from different biphenyl-2,2'-dicarboxyl-ate ligands, leading to a distorted octahedral environment. Each carboxyl-ate group makes one short Cu-O bond [1.9608†(14) and 1.9701†(14)†à ] and one longer Cu-O contact [2.4338†(17) and 2.5541†(17)†à ] to each Cu(II) atom. The biphenyl-2,2'-dicarboxyl-ate ligands bridge between Cu(II) atoms, forming a dinuclear complex around a crystallographic inversion centre.