Tetra-mu-benzoato-kappa8O:O'-bis([1-[(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)methyl]-6,7-dimethoxyisoquinoline-kappaN]zinc(II)): the first crystal structure with papaverine as a ligand.

The title complex, [Zn(2)(C(7)H(5)O(2))(4)(C(20)H(21)NO(4))(2)], forms dimers of the paddle-wheel cage type located at crystallographic inversion centres. The two Zn atoms [Zn.Zn = 3.0533 (4) A] are connected by four syn-syn benzoate ligands. The apical positions of the square-pyramidal zinc coordination polyhedra are occupied by the N atoms of the papaverine ligand. Upon coordination, the mutual orientation of the phenyl and isoquinoline rings in papaverine is changed compared with that in the uncoordinated ligand.