A new dinuclear copper(II) complex [Cu_2(L)_2(phen)_2]·5H_2O (1) with bicycle[2.2.1]hept-2-en-5, 6-dicarboxylic acid (H2L) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) as ligands has been synthesized in the mixed solvents of ethanol and water. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2_(1/c), with a= 17.925(4), b = 19.908(4), c = 11.235(2) A, β = 97.65(3)o, V = 3973.4(14) A~3, Dc = 1.552 g/cm~3, Z= 8, F(000) = 1910, the final GOOF = 1.056, R = 0.0519 and wR = 0.1293. The crystal structure shows that the whole molecule consists of two independent dinu...