catena-Poly[[bis[pentaaquaerbium(III)]-[mu]-benzenehexacarboxylato] tetrahydrate]

The title compound is composed of one-dimensional polymeric {[Er₂(C₁₂O₁₂)(H₂O)₁₀]·4H₂O}_n chains containing Er in a slightly distorted antiprismatic eightfold coordination. The benzene­hexa­carboxyl­ate ion is located about an inversion centre. Water mol­ecules of crystallization, linked by hydrogen bonding to water mol­ecules of the rare earth coordination spheres or the carboxyl­ate groups of the organic ligands, fill the space generated by the packing of the separated chains.