Bis(3,5-di­nitro­benzoato-κO)bis­(ethane-1,2-di­amine-κ(2) N,N′)cadmium(II)

During systematic investigations of bioavailability and biological action enhancement of well known compounds with low bioactivity, a new mixed-ligand metal complex, [Cd(DNBA)(2)(en)(2))] (DNBA = 3,5-di­nitro­benzoate, C(7)H(3)N(2)O(6); en = ethyl­endi­amine, C(2)H(8)N(2)), has been synthesized. The complex mol­ecules are located on inversion centers. Two DNBA anions monodentately coordinate the Cd(II) atom through an oxygen atom of the carboxyl­ate group while two en mol­ecules coordinate in a chelate fashion, resulting in a distorted O(2)N(4) coordination set. There is a weak intra­molecular hydrogen bond of 3.099 (4) Å between the non-coordinating oxygen atom of the carboxyl­ate group and one of the en amine groups. Three relatively weak inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds associate complex mol­ecules into sheets extending parallel to (0 [Image: see text] 1), which are further stabilized by π–π inter­actions. A Hirshfeld surface analysis of the crystal structure indicates that the most important contributions to the crystal packing are from H⋯O/O⋯H (50.2%) and H⋯H (21.1%) inter­actions. [Image: see text]