3,9-Bis(dicyanomethylene)-2,4,8,10-tetrathiaspiro[5.5]undecane

The title compound, 2,2′-(2,4,8,10-tetra­thia­spiro­[5.5]­undec­ane-3,9-diyl­idene)­bis­(propane­di­nitrile), C₁₃H₈N₄S₄, has been designed and synthesized for use as a potential new organic molecular electronic material. The spiro-annulated structure has twofold symmetry and is formed by two equal push–pull ethyl­ene units, with the cyclo­alkyl­thio groups as electron donors and the cyano groups as electron acceptors. The intermolecular S⃛N non-bonded separation within a layer in the lattice is 3.296 (6) Å, indicating a strong intermolecular interaction between the cyano groups and the S atoms, while the S atoms in two neighbouring mol­ecules have a shortest S⃛S contact of 3.449 (3) Å. In addition, attractive C—H⃛N and C—H⃛S interactions bridge adjacent mol­ecules either within a layer or between layers. In short, these four types of intermolecular interactions combine to form an extended three-dimensional network in the lattice, resulting in a highly ordered array of molecular packing.