An ionic organic-inorganic hybrid: tetra-kis[bis-(1,10-phenanthroline)copper(I)] dodeca-tungstophosphate(V).

Single crystals of the title polyoxometallate-based organic-inorganic hybrid, [Cu(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)](4)[SiW(12)O(40)], were grown under hydro-thermal conditions. The discrete [SiW(12)O(40)](4-) anions are of the Keggin type and are packed in a slightly distorted ortho-rhom-bic F-centred mode, with the complex [Cu(I)(phen)(2)](+) cations (phen is 1,10-phenanthroline) located in the voids of this arrangement. The four independent Cu(I) cations are situated in the centres of more or less distorted tetra-hedra made up of N atoms from the phen ligands. The anions and cations are linked together via weak hydrogen-bonding inter-actions, forming an extended three-dimensional network. Additional stabilization is achieved via π-π inter-actions between different phen mol-ecules of adjacent [Cu(I)(phen)(2)](+) cations with shortest distances between 3.416 and 3.499†à .