Crystal structure of catena-poly[[di­iodidomer­cury(II)]-μ-2,2′-di­thio­bis­(pyridine N-oxide)-κ2O:O′]

The title compound, [HgI2(C10H8N2O2S2)]n, a one-dimensional coordination polymer with HgI2 units and 2,2′-di­thio­bis­(pyridine N-oxide) spacer ligands in an alternating fashion, forms helical chains running along the b axis in the crystal. Within a single coordination polymer strand, the axially chiral 2,2′-di­thio­bis­(pyridine N-oxide) ligands are homochiral, but the enanti­omeric conformation is present in adjacent strands. Within a coordination polymer strand, the iodido ligands point towards the centroids of the aromatic rings of the pyridine N-oxide moieties in the coordination sphere of HgII. Moreover, intra-strand C—H⋯O and C—H⋯I inter­actions, and inter-strand short S⋯I and S⋯O contacts are observed.