Tetrakis(mu-acetato-O,O')bis[(4-cyanopyridine-N)copper(II)]

The title compound, [Cu(2)(C(2)H(3)O(2))(4)(C(6)H(4)N(2))(2)], has the familiar lantern-type structure that is characteristic of dimetal tetracarboxylates of copper and several other transition elements. The molecule lies about an inversion centre and the Cu atom is present in a distorted square-pyramidal coordination environment, consisting of four O atoms in equatorial positions and the pyridyl-N atoms of the two 4-cyanopyridine ligands in axial positions.