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

The title compound, [HgI(2)(C(10)H(8)N(2)O(2)S(2))](n), a one-dimensional coordination polymer with HgI(2) 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 Hg(II). Moreover, intra-strand C—H⋯O and C—H⋯I inter­actions, and inter-strand short S⋯I and S⋯O contacts are observed.