Ce2Zn17 crystallizes in the hexagonal P6_3/mmc space group. There are two inequivalent Ce sites. In the first Ce site, Ce(1) is bonded in a 20-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Zn(3), six equivalent Zn(1), six equivalent Zn(2), and six equivalent Zn(4) atoms. In the second Ce site, Ce(2) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to six equivalent Zn(1) and twelve equivalent Zn(4) atoms. There are four inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded to one Ce(1), one Ce(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form distorted ZnCe2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded to two equivalent Ce(1), two equivalent Zn(3), four equivalent Zn(1), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form ZnCe2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with six equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded in a 14-coordinate geometry to one Ce(1), one Zn(3), three equivalent Zn(2), three equivalent Zn(4), and six equivalent Zn(1) atoms. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded to one Ce(1), two equivalent Ce(2), one Zn(3), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(4), and four equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form distorted ZnCe3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with five equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with five equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with eight equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra.
Ce2Zn17 crystallizes in the hexagonal P6_3/mmc space group. There are two inequivalent Ce sites. In the first Ce site, Ce(1) is bonded in a 20-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Zn(3), six equivalent Zn(1), six equivalent Zn(2), and six equivalent Zn(4) atoms. Both Ce(1)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 3.09 Å. All Ce(1)-Zn(1) bond lengths are 3.21 Å. All Ce(1)-Zn(2) bond lengths are 3.40 Å. All Ce(1)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 3.34 Å. In the second Ce site, Ce(2) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to six equivalent Zn(1) and twelve equivalent Zn(4) atoms. All Ce(2)-Zn(1) bond lengths are 3.16 Å. There are six shorter (3.22 Å) and six longer (3.48 Å) Ce(2)-Zn(4) bond lengths. There are four inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded to one Ce(1), one Ce(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form distorted ZnCe2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra. There is one shorter (2.60 Å) and one longer (2.70 Å) Zn(1)-Zn(1) bond length. Both Zn(1)-Zn(2) bond lengths are 2.60 Å. Both Zn(1)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 2.96 Å. There are two shorter (2.73 Å) and two longer (2.75 Å) Zn(1)-Zn(4) bond lengths. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded to two equivalent Ce(1), two equivalent Zn(3), four equivalent Zn(1), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form ZnCe2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with six equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra. Both Zn(2)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 2.74 Å. All Zn(2)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.64 Å. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded in a 14-coordinate geometry to one Ce(1), one Zn(3), three equivalent Zn(2), three equivalent Zn(4), and six equivalent Zn(1) atoms. The Zn(3)-Zn(3) bond length is 2.63 Å. All Zn(3)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.88 Å. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded to one Ce(1), two equivalent Ce(2), one Zn(3), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(4), and four equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form distorted ZnCe3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with five equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with five equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(2)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with eight equivalent Zn(4)Ce3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(1)Ce2Zn10 cuboctahedra. Both Zn(4)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.55 Å.