catena-Poly[[(1,10-phenanthroline-κ(2) N,N′)copper(I)]-μ(2)-iodido]

The solvothermal reaction of copper(I) iodide and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) in ethanol yielded the title polymeric compound, [CuI(C(12)H(8)N(2))](n). The asymmmetric unit comprises one Cu(+) cation, one I(−) anion and one phen ligand. Each Cu(+) cation is in a distorted tetrahedral coordination by two iodide anions and two N atoms from a bidentate chelating phen ligand. The Cu(+) cations are bridged through the iodide anions, leading to a zigzag chain structure extending parallel to [100]. There are π–π inter­actions among adjacent phen ligands of one chain [centroid–centroid distance = 3.693 (3) Å].