A one-dimensional triaqua-europium(III)-1H,3H-benzimidazol-3-ium-5,6-dicarboxyl-ate-sulfate polymeric structure

In the title coordination polymer, catena-poly[[[triaqua-europium(III)]-bis-(μ-1H,3H-benzimidazol-3-ium-5,6-dicarb-oxyl-ato-κ(3)O(5),O(5'):O(6))-[triaqua-europium(III)]-di-μ-sulfato-κ(3)O:O,O';κ(3)O,O':O'] hexahydrate], [Eu(2)(C(9)H(5)N(2)O(4))(2)(SO(4))(2)(H(2)O)(6)]·6H(2)O}(n), the 1H,3H-benzimidazol-3-ium-5,6-dicarb-oxy-l-ate ligand is protonated at the imidazole group (H(2)bdc). The Eu(III) ion is coordinated by nine O atoms from two H(2)bdc ligands, two sulfate anions and three water mol-ecules, displaying a bicapped trigonal prismatic geometry. The carboxyl-ate groups of the H(2)bdc ligands and the sulfate anions link the Eu(III) ions, forming a chain along [010]. These chains are further connected by N-H⋯O and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and π-π inter-actions between the imidazole and benzene rings [centroid-centroid distances = 3.997 (4), 3.829 (4) and 3.573 (4) Å] into a three-dimensional supra-molecular network.