MgZn(CoO2)4 crystallizes in the triclinic P1 space group. Mg(1) is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to one O(4), one O(8), two equivalent O(6), and two equivalent O(7) atoms. There are four inequivalent Co sites. In the first Co site, Co(1) is bonded to one O(2), one O(7), two equivalent O(4), and two equivalent O(5) atoms to form distorted CoO6 octahedra that share corners with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(2)O4 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O5 square pyramids. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 50-51°. In the second Co site, Co(2) is bonded to one O(4), one O(8), and two equivalent O(3) atoms to form CoO4 tetrahedra that share corners with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, and corners with two equivalent Co(2)O4 tetrahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 46-55°. In the third Co site, Co(3) is bonded to one O(1), one O(6), two equivalent O(2), and two equivalent O(8) atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share corners with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(4)O5 square pyramids, corners with two equivalent Co(2)O4 tetrahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 50-51°. In the fourth Co site, Co(4) is bonded to one O(5), two equivalent O(1), and two equivalent O(7) atoms to form distorted CoO5 square pyramids that share corners with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O5 square pyramids. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 51°. Zn(1) is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to one O(2), one O(3), two equivalent O(5), and two equivalent O(6) atoms. There are eight inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(1) is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to one Co(3) and two equivalent Co(4) atoms. In the second O site, O(2) is bonded to one Co(1), two equivalent Co(3), and one Zn(1) atom to form OZnCo3 trigonal pyramids that share  a cornercorner with one O(7)Mg2Co3 square pyramid, corners with two equivalent O(8)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, corners with two equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with two equivalent O(6)Mg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(8)MgCo3 trigonal pyramid. In the third O site, O(3) is bonded in a trigonal planar geometry to two equivalent Co(2) and one Zn(1) atom. In the fourth O site, O(4) is bonded in a rectangular see-saw-like geometry to one Mg(1), one Co(2), and two equivalent Co(1) atoms. In the fifth O site, O(5) is bonded in a 5-coordinate geometry to one Co(4), two equivalent Co(1), and two equivalent Zn(1) atoms. In the sixth O site, O(6) is bonded to two equivalent Mg(1), one Co(3), and two equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form distorted OMg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramids that share corners with two equivalent O(7)Mg2Co3 square pyramids,  an edgeedge with one O(7)Mg2Co3 square pyramid, edges with two equivalent O(6)Mg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramids, edges with two equivalent O(8)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, and edges with two equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids. In the seventh O site, O(7) is bonded to two equivalent Mg(1), one Co(1), and two equivalent Co(4) atoms to form OMg2Co3 square pyramids that share corners with two equivalent O(6)Mg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramids,  a cornercorner with one O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramid, corners with two equivalent O(8)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with two equivalent O(7)Mg2Co3 square pyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(6)Mg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramid. In the eighth O site, O(8) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(2), and two equivalent Co(3) atoms to form OMgCo3 trigonal pyramids that share corners with two equivalent O(7)Mg2Co3 square pyramids, corners with two equivalent O(8)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, corners with two equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with two equivalent O(6)Mg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramid.
MgZn(CoO2)4 crystallizes in the triclinic P1 space group. Mg(1) is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to one O(4), one O(8), two equivalent O(6), and two equivalent O(7) atoms. The Mg(1)-O(4) bond length is 2.14 Å. The Mg(1)-O(8) bond length is 2.33 Å. There is one shorter (2.07 Å) and one longer (2.09 Å) Mg(1)-O(6) bond length. There is one shorter (2.11 Å) and one longer (2.12 Å) Mg(1)-O(7) bond length. There are four inequivalent Co sites. In the first Co site, Co(1) is bonded to one O(2), one O(7), two equivalent O(4), and two equivalent O(5) atoms to form distorted CoO6 octahedra that share corners with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(2)O4 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O5 square pyramids. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 50-51°. The Co(1)-O(2) bond length is 1.97 Å. The Co(1)-O(7) bond length is 2.15 Å. There is one shorter (2.03 Å) and one longer (2.04 Å) Co(1)-O(4) bond length. There is one shorter (2.23 Å) and one longer (2.26 Å) Co(1)-O(5) bond length. In the second Co site, Co(2) is bonded to one O(4), one O(8), and two equivalent O(3) atoms to form CoO4 tetrahedra that share corners with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, and corners with two equivalent Co(2)O4 tetrahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 46-55°. The Co(2)-O(4) bond length is 1.82 Å. The Co(2)-O(8) bond length is 1.92 Å. There is one shorter (1.82 Å) and one longer (1.92 Å) Co(2)-O(3) bond length. In the third Co site, Co(3) is bonded to one O(1), one O(6), two equivalent O(2), and two equivalent O(8) atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share corners with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(4)O5 square pyramids, corners with two equivalent Co(2)O4 tetrahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 50-51°. The Co(3)-O(1) bond length is 1.84 Å. The Co(3)-O(6) bond length is 1.94 Å. There is one shorter (1.91 Å) and one longer (1.93 Å) Co(3)-O(2) bond length. There is one shorter (1.93 Å) and one longer (1.94 Å) Co(3)-O(8) bond length. In the fourth Co site, Co(4) is bonded to one O(5), two equivalent O(1), and two equivalent O(7) atoms to form distorted CoO5 square pyramids that share corners with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O5 square pyramids. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 51°. The Co(4)-O(5) bond length is 1.85 Å. There is one shorter (1.93 Å) and one longer (1.94 Å) Co(4)-O(1) bond length. Both Co(4)-O(7) bond lengths are 2.07 Å. Zn(1) is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to one O(2), one O(3), two equivalent O(5), and two equivalent O(6) atoms. The Zn(1)-O(2) bond length is 2.29 Å. The Zn(1)-O(3) bond length is 1.99 Å. There is one shorter (2.11 Å) and one longer (2.12 Å) Zn(1)-O(5) bond length. There is one shorter (2.13 Å) and one longer (2.14 Å) Zn(1)-O(6) bond length. There are eight inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(1) is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to one Co(3) and two equivalent Co(4) atoms. In the second O site, O(2) is bonded to one Co(1), two equivalent Co(3), and one Zn(1) atom to form OZnCo3 trigonal pyramids that share  a cornercorner with one O(7)Mg2Co3 square pyramid, corners with two equivalent O(8)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, corners with two equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with two equivalent O(6)Mg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(8)MgCo3 trigonal pyramid. In the third O site, O(3) is bonded in a trigonal planar geometry to two equivalent Co(2) and one Zn(1) atom. In the fourth O site, O(4) is bonded in a rectangular see-saw-like geometry to one Mg(1), one Co(2), and two equivalent Co(1) atoms. In the fifth O site, O(5) is bonded in a 5-coordinate geometry to one Co(4), two equivalent Co(1), and two equivalent Zn(1) atoms. In the sixth O site, O(6) is bonded to two equivalent Mg(1), one Co(3), and two equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form distorted OMg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramids that share corners with two equivalent O(7)Mg2Co3 square pyramids,  an edgeedge with one O(7)Mg2Co3 square pyramid, edges with two equivalent O(6)Mg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramids, edges with two equivalent O(8)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, and edges with two equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids. In the seventh O site, O(7) is bonded to two equivalent Mg(1), one Co(1), and two equivalent Co(4) atoms to form OMg2Co3 square pyramids that share corners with two equivalent O(6)Mg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramids,  a cornercorner with one O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramid, corners with two equivalent O(8)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with two equivalent O(7)Mg2Co3 square pyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(6)Mg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramid. In the eighth O site, O(8) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(2), and two equivalent Co(3) atoms to form OMgCo3 trigonal pyramids that share corners with two equivalent O(7)Mg2Co3 square pyramids, corners with two equivalent O(8)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, corners with two equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with two equivalent O(6)Mg2Zn2Co trigonal bipyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramid.