The heterobifunctional ligand 5-[4-(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)phenyl]-1H-tetrazole and its role in the construction of a CdII metal-organic chain structure

5-[4-(1,2,4-Triazol-4-yl)phenyl]-1H-tetrazole, C(9)H(7)N(7), (I), an asymmetric heterobifunctional organic ligand containing triazole (tr) and tetrazole (tz) termini linked directly through a 1,4-phenylene spacer, crystallizes in the polar space group Pc. The heterocyclic functions, serving as single hydrogen-bond donor (tz) or acceptor (tr) units, afford hydrogen-bonded zigzag chains with no crystallographic centre of inversion. In the structure of catena-poly[[diaquacadmium(II)]bis{μ(2)-5-[4-(1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)phenyl]tetrazol-1-ido-κ(2)N(1):N(1')}], [Cd(C(9)H(6)N(7))(2)(H(2)O)(2)](n), (II), the Cd(II) dication resides on a centre of inversion in an octahedral {N(4)O(2)} environment. In the equatorial plane, the Cd(II) polyhedron is built up from four N atoms of two kinds, namely of trans-coordinating tr and tz fragments [Cd-N = 2.2926 (17) and 2.3603 (18) Å], and the coordinating aqua ligands occupy the two apical sites. The metal centres are separated at a distance of 11.1006 (7) Å by means of the double-bridging tetrazolate anion, L(-), forming a chain structure. The water ligands and tz fragments interact with one another, like a double hydrogen-bond donor-acceptor synthon, leading to a hydrogen-bonded three-dimensional array.