catena-Poly[[diaqua­zinc(II)]-μ-4,4′-sulfonyl­dibenzoato-κ²O:O′]

The title compound, [Zn(C₁₄H₈O₆S)(H₂O)₂]_n, is the first reported metal complex of the 4,4′-sulfonyl­dibenzoate anion. The structure comprises zigzag chains of alternating [Zn(H₂O)₂]²⁺ and sulfonyl­dibenzoate units, the central Zn and S atoms of which lie on crystallographic twofold axes. The Zn^II centre occupies a strongly distorted tetra­hedral environment [O—Zn—O = 83.30 (7)–136.19 (8)°], coordinated by the two water O atoms [Zn—O = 1.986 (2) Å] and one O atom from each of two carboxyl­ate groups [Zn—O = 1.9942 (19) Å], with much longer contacts to the other O atoms of these carboxyl­ates [Zn—O = 2.528 (2) Å]. Hydrogen bonds between carboxyl­ate O atoms and coordinated water mol­ecules in adjacent chains lead to the formation of a three-dimensional network structure.