Poly[bis(mu3-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylato-kappa(3)O(1):O(3):O(5))tris[mu2-1,3-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene-kappa(2)N:N']tricobalt(II)] and poly[[diaquabis(mu3-benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylato-kappa(3)O(1):O(3):O(5))tris[mu2-1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene-kappa(2)N:N']tricobalt(II)] monohydrate].

The title cobalt(II) coordination polymers, [Co3(C9H3O6)2(C14H14N4)3]n, (I), and {[Co3(C9H3O6)2(C14H14N4)3(H2O)2] x H2O}n, (II), present very different coordination and packing properties in spite of the ligand similarity. In (I), three crystallographically distinct Co(II) cations are all four-coordinated by O2N2 donor sets in distorted tetrahedral geometries. The Co(II) centres are connected by benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate (BTC) anions and 1,3-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (L(1)) ligands into a (6(4).8(2))2(8(6))(6.8(2))2 topology framework. The structure of (II) contains two kinds of crystallographically unique Co(II) cations. One Co atom lies on a symmetry centre and is six-coordinated by an O4N2 donor set, and the other Co atom is four-coordinated by an O2N2 donor set. The Co(II) centres are connected by BTC anions and 1,4-bis(imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzene (L(2)) ligands into a (6(2).8(4))2(6(4).8(2))(6(3))2 framework.