Poly[μ-aqua-diaqua-(μ(2)-pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxyl-ato)dilithium(I)]

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Li(2)(C(6)H(2)N(2)O(4))(H(2)O)(3)](n), consists of two independent Li(+) cations, one pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxyl-ate dianion and three water mol-ecules. One of the Li(+) cations has a distorted tetra-hedral geometry, coordinated by one of the carboxyl-ate O atoms of the pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxyl-ate ligand and three O atoms from three water mol-ecules, whereas the other Li(+) cation has a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometry, coordinated by a carboxyl-ate O atom of a symmetry-related pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxyl-ate ligand, two water mol-ecules and a chelating pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxyl-ate ligand (by utilizing both N and O atoms) of an adjacent mol-ecule. The synthesis of a hydrated polymeric dinuclear lithium complex formed with two pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylic acid ligands has been reported previously [Tombul et al. (2008a ▶). Acta Cryst. E64, m491-m492]. By comparision to the complex reported here, the dinuclear complex formed with two pyrazine-2,3-dicarboxylic acid ligands differs in the coordination geometry of both Li atoms. The crystal structure further features O-H⋯O and O-H⋯N hydrogen-bonding inter-actions involving the water mol-ecules and carboxyl-ate O atoms.