Polymeric (O-ethyl dithiocarbonato)silver(I).

The title compound, [Ag(C(3)H(5)OS(2))](n), is polymeric in the solid state and adopts a layered structure in which each Ag atom is five-coordinated in a distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometry defined by four S atoms belonging to four different xanthate groups and by a neigbouring Ag atom [Ag.Ag = 3.0540 (8) A]. Each S atom is three-coordinated to one C and two Ag atoms. The structure can be envisaged as being formed by Ag(2)(S(2)COEt)(2) units in which every S atom is bonded to another Ag atom from a different unit and the Ag atoms are also bonded to two different S atoms of two other units. The result is a two-dimensional network of condensed metallacycles of six or eight atoms.