A novel triple-stranded cadmium(II) polymer chain: catena-poly[cadmium(II)-μ-1,2-bis­(imidazol-1-yl)­ethane-κ²N³:N^3′-di-μ-1,5-dicyanamido-κ⁴N¹:N⁵]

In the crystal structure of the title complex, [Cd(C₂N₃)₂(C₈H₁₀N₄)]_n or [Cd(dca)₂(bim)]_n, where dca is dicyanamide and bim is 1,2-bis­(imidazol-1-yl)ethane, each Cd^II atom is in a distorted octa­hedral environment. Four N atoms from four dca ligands occupy the equatorial positions, and two N atoms from two bim ligands occupy the axial positions. Each Cd^II atom is situated at a center of symmetry, and a twofold axis runs through the mid-points of the bim exocyclic C—C bond and the Cd...Cd vector. The structure consists of chains in which neighboring Cd^II atoms are connected through one bim and two end-to-end dca bridges.