BaLaI5 crystallizes in the monoclinic P2_1/c space group. Ba(1) is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to one I(1), one I(3), one I(4), one I(5), and two equivalent I(2) atoms. La(1) is bonded to one I(1), one I(2), one I(3), two equivalent I(4), and two equivalent I(5) atoms to form a mixture of distorted edge and corner-sharing LaI7 pentagonal bipyramids. There are five inequivalent I sites. In the first I site, I(1) is bonded in a distorted water-like geometry to one Ba(1) and one La(1) atom. In the second I site, I(2) is bonded in a trigonal non-coplanar geometry to two equivalent Ba(1) and one La(1) atom. In the third I site, I(3) is bonded in a distorted L-shaped geometry to one Ba(1) and one La(1) atom. In the fourth I site, I(4) is bonded in a T-shaped geometry to one Ba(1) and two equivalent La(1) atoms. In the fifth I site, I(5) is bonded in a distorted trigonal non-coplanar geometry to one Ba(1) and two equivalent La(1) atoms.
BaLaI5 crystallizes in the monoclinic P2_1/c space group. Ba(1) is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to one I(1), one I(3), one I(4), one I(5), and two equivalent I(2) atoms. The Ba(1)-I(1) bond length is 3.50 Å. The Ba(1)-I(3) bond length is 3.55 Å. The Ba(1)-I(4) bond length is 3.46 Å. The Ba(1)-I(5) bond length is 3.49 Å. There is one shorter (3.54 Å) and one longer (3.66 Å) Ba(1)-I(2) bond length. La(1) is bonded to one I(1), one I(2), one I(3), two equivalent I(4), and two equivalent I(5) atoms to form a mixture of distorted edge and corner-sharing LaI7 pentagonal bipyramids. The La(1)-I(1) bond length is 3.19 Å. The La(1)-I(2) bond length is 3.25 Å. The La(1)-I(3) bond length is 3.14 Å. There is one shorter (3.19 Å) and one longer (3.41 Å) La(1)-I(4) bond length. There is one shorter (3.24 Å) and one longer (3.40 Å) La(1)-I(5) bond length. There are five inequivalent I sites. In the first I site, I(1) is bonded in a distorted water-like geometry to one Ba(1) and one La(1) atom. In the second I site, I(2) is bonded in a trigonal non-coplanar geometry to two equivalent Ba(1) and one La(1) atom. In the third I site, I(3) is bonded in a distorted L-shaped geometry to one Ba(1) and one La(1) atom. In the fourth I site, I(4) is bonded in a T-shaped geometry to one Ba(1) and two equivalent La(1) atoms. In the fifth I site, I(5) is bonded in a distorted trigonal non-coplanar geometry to one Ba(1) and two equivalent La(1) atoms.