Synthesis and crystal structure of bis­[trans-di­aqua­(1,4,8,11-tetra­aza­cyclo­tetra­decane-κ(4) N (1),N (4),N (8),N (11))nickel(II)] trans-(1,4,8,11-tetra­aza­cyclo­tetra­decane-κ(4) N (1),N (4),N (8),N (11))bis­[4,4′,4′′-(1,3,5-tri­methyl­benzene-2,4,6-tri­yl)tris­(hydrogen phenyl­phospho­nato-κO)]nickel(II) deca­hydrate

The components of the title compound, [Ni(C(10)H(24)N(4))(H(2)O)(2)](2)[Ni(C(10)H(24)N(4))(C(27)H(24)O(9)P(3))(2)]·10H(2)O are two centrosymmetric [Ni(C(10)H(24)N(4))(H(2)O)(2)](2+) dications, a centrosymmetric [Ni(C(10)H(24)N(4))(C(27)H(24)O(9)P(3))(2)](4−) tetra-anion and five crystallographically unique water mol­ecules of crystallization. All of the nickel ions are coordinated by the four secondary N atoms of the macrocyclic cyclam ligands, which adopt the most energetically stable trans-III conformation, and the mutually trans O atoms of either water mol­ecules in the cations or the phospho­nate groups in the anion in a tetra­gonally distorted NiN(4)O(2) octa­hedral coordination geometry. Strong O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the protonated and the non-protonated phospho­nate O atoms of neighboring anions result in the formation of layers oriented parallel to the bc plane, which are linked into a three-dimensional network by virtue of numerous N—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds arising from the sec-NH groups of the macrocycles, phospho­nate O atoms and coordinated and non-coordinated water mol­ecules.