YbP5 crystallizes in the monoclinic P2_1/m space group. Yb(1) is bonded in a 10-coordinate geometry to two equivalent P(1), two equivalent P(2), and six equivalent P(3) atoms. There are three inequivalent P sites. In the first P site, P(3) is bonded in a 5-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Yb(1), one P(2), and one P(3) atom. In the second P site, P(1) is bonded in a distorted rectangular see-saw-like geometry to two equivalent Yb(1) and two equivalent P(2) atoms. In the third P site, P(2) is bonded to one Yb(1), one P(1), one P(2), and one P(3) atom to form edge-sharing PYbP3 trigonal pyramids.
YbP5 crystallizes in the monoclinic P2_1/m space group. Yb(1) is bonded in a 10-coordinate geometry to two equivalent P(1), two equivalent P(2), and six equivalent P(3) atoms. There is one shorter (2.88 Å) and one longer (2.92 Å) Yb(1)-P(1) bond length. Both Yb(1)-P(2) bond lengths are 3.01 Å. There are a spread of Yb(1)-P(3) bond distances ranging from 2.98-3.39 Å. There are three inequivalent P sites. In the first P site, P(3) is bonded in a 5-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Yb(1), one P(2), and one P(3) atom. The P(3)-P(2) bond length is 2.20 Å. The P(3)-P(3) bond length is 2.13 Å. In the second P site, P(1) is bonded in a distorted rectangular see-saw-like geometry to two equivalent Yb(1) and two equivalent P(2) atoms. Both P(1)-P(2) bond lengths are 2.19 Å. In the third P site, P(2) is bonded to one Yb(1), one P(1), one P(2), and one P(3) atom to form edge-sharing PYbP3 trigonal pyramids. The P(2)-P(2) bond length is 2.20 Å.