A binuclear zinc polymer with paddlewheel building units and intersecting helical chains based on a flexible 4-[(carboxymethyl)sulfanyl]-benzoic acid ligand.

The article focuses on the growing interest in the synthesis and design of metal-organic coordination polymers. It discusses the intriguing molecular topologies and the structural diversity of metal-organic coordination polymers as well as their potential as a new class of solid-state materials. It also highlights the important role played by the judicious selection of bridging ligands in the construction of such materials.