Crystal structure of dilithium biphenyl-4,4-disulfonate dihydrate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, mu-biphenyl-4,4 '-disulfonato-bis(aqualithium), [Li-2(C12H8O6S2)(H2O)(2)] or Li-2[Bph(SO3)(2)](H2O)(2), consists of an Li ion, half of the diphenyl-4,4 '-disulfonate [Bph(SO3-)(2)] ligand, and a water molecule. The Li ion exhibits a four-coordinate tetrahedral geometry with three oxygen atoms of the Bph(SO3-)(2) ligands and a water molecule. The tetrahedral LiO4 units, which are interconnected by biphenyl moieties, form a layer structure parallel to (100). These layers are further connected by hydrogen-bonding interactions to yield a three-dimensional network.