A divalent cadmium coordination polymer featuring a complex tetranodal 3-D topology and hexadecameric water clusters

► Luminescent cadmium coordination polymer with 2,2-dimethylsuccinate (dms) ligands. ► Partially pillared [Cd2(dms)2(bpmp)]n layers (bpmp = bis(4-pyridylmethyl)piperazine). ► Complex 3-D 3,4,5-connected network topology. ► Hydrogen-bonded hexadecameric water molecule clusters in incipient channels.