Diaquabis(2-methyl-1H-imidazol-3-ium-4,5-dicarboxylato-κ2O,O′)magnesium

The title compound, [Mg(C6H5N2O4)(2)(H2O)(2)], was prepared by reaction of Mg(NO3)(2) and 2-methyl-1H-imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid under hydrothermal conditions. The MgII atom lies on an inversion centre and displays a distorted octahedral coordination geometry. An extended three-dimensional network of intermolecular O-H center dot center dot center dot O and N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds stabilizes the crystal structure.