Aqua(4,4 '-dimethyl-2,2 '-bipyridine-N,N ')(malonato-O,O ')copper(II) dihydrate

The title compound, [Cu(C3H2O4)(C12H12N2)(H2O)].-2H(2)O, lies on a crystall ographic mirror The Cu-II ion in the complex has a slightly distorted squar e-pyramidal coordination environment, with one water molecule in the apical position, and two malonate O atoms and both N atoms of the bipyridine liga nd defining the base. The five-membered chelate ring defined by atoms N1, C 5, C5', N1' and Cu1 is almost planar, while the chelate ring defined by the malonate ligand (O1, C7, C8, C7' and O1') and the Cu atom has an envelope conformation. Hydrogen bonding and pi-pi*-orbital interactions between the bipyridine rings seem to determine the crystal packing.