Tetra-μ-benzoato-κO:O';κO:O,O';κO,O':O'-bis-[(benzoato-κO,O')(1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')neodymium(III)].

The complete mol-ecule of the title compound, [Nd(2)(C(7)H(5)O(2))(6)(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)], is generated by a crystallographic inversion center. The two Nd(III) ions are linked by four bridging benzoate ions, with an Nd⋯Nd separation of 4.0360†(2)†à . As well as the bridging ligands, each Nd(III) ion is coordinated by one N,N'-bidentate phenanthroline ligand and an O,O'-bidentate benzoate ion. The resulting irregular nine-coordinated geometry of the Nd(III) ion is completed by seven O and two N atoms. The mol-ecular structure is stabilized by intra-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. In the crystal structure, mol-ecules are linked into infinite chains along the c axis by inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The crystal structure is consolidated by weak inter-molecular C-H⋯π inter-actions.