Experimental

R factor = 0.041; wR factor = 0.085; data-to-parameter ratio = 19.1. In the cation of the title compound, [Cu(C2H8N2)2(CH3OH)2]-(C8H4O4)2CH3OH, the CuII atom lies on an inversion centre. The four N atoms of two ethylenediamine ligands around the CuII atom form the equatorial plane, while two methanol O atoms in the axial positions complete a Jahn–Teller distorted octahedral coordination. The benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate anion is centrosymmetric. In the crystal, C—H O, N—H O and O—H O hydrogen bonds link the cations, the anions and the methanol solvent molecules. Related literature For the role of copper compounds in biology, see: Kovala-Demertzi et al. (1997). For background to copper coordination polymers with carboxylate ligands, see: Eddaoudi et al. (2001); Wen et al. (2005). For related structures with copper(II) and carboxylate anions, see: Al-Hashemi et al. (2010a,b)