An unprecedented quaternary metal chalcogenide hg3Zn2S4I2 (1) has been obtained by solid-state reaction and structurally characterised by X-ray diffraction. Compound 1 crystallises in the space group C2221 of the orthorhombic system with four formula units in a cell: a = 12.571(4), b = 7.258(3), c = 10.742(4) Å, V = 980.1(6) Å3, Hg3I2S4Zn2, Mr = 1114.55, Dc = 7.553 g cm−3, T = 123.15 K, F(000) = 1880 and R1/wR2 = 0.0636/0.1658 for 542 observed reflections (I > 2σ(I)) and 572 unique reflections. Compound 1 is characterised by a novel 3-D framework motif.
