Poly[bis(μ7-3-sulfonato-l-alaninato)sodiumzinc]

The hydrothermal reaction of Zn(CH3COO)2, NaOH and l-cysteic acid produced the title compound, [Na2Zn(C3H5NO5S)2]n. The ZnII cation is situated on an inversion centre and is in a distorted octahedral environment, being chelated by two deprotoned l-cysteic acid ligands through two amino N atoms and two carboxylic O atoms, with the two axial positions occupied by two carboxylic O atoms from two other l-cysteic acid ligands. Each l-cysteic acid ligand bridges five NaI ions via its sulfonate group and two ZnII ions via its carboxyl group, forming a three-dimensional framework. Weak N—H...O hydrogen bonding is observed in the crystal structure.