Tetra-aqua-bis-(μ(2)-4,4'-bipyridine)-dodeca-kis-(μ(2)-2-methyl-prop-2-enoato)octa-kis-(2-methyl-prop-2-enoato)tetra-ytterbium(III)tetra-zinc(II).

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Yb(4)Zn(4)(C(4)H(5)O(2))(20)(C(10)H(8)N(2))(2)(H(2)O)(4)], contains half of a centrosymmetric octa-nuclear mol-ecule in which each Zn(II) ion is four-coordinated by three O atoms from three 2-methyl-prop-2-enoate (L) ligands and one N atom from a 4,4'-bipyridine (bipy) ligand in a distorted pyramidal geometry. The two independent Yb(III) ions, each coordinated by eight O atoms in an irregular geometry, exhibit different coordination environments, viz. one water mol-ecule, five bridging bidentate and one chelating bidentate carboxyl-ate groups for one Yb(III) ion, and one water mol-ecule, three bridging bidentate and two chelating bidentate carboxyl-ate groups for the other Yb(III) ion. In the crystal structure, inter-molecular O-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds help to establish the packing.