MgZn(CoO2)4 crystallizes in the triclinic P1 space group. Mg(1) is bonded to one O(1), one O(2), two equivalent O(5), and two equivalent O(6) atoms to form distorted MgO6 octahedra that share corners with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Zn(1)O5 trigonal bipyramids, edges with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(1)O5 trigonal bipyramid, and  a faceface with one Co(1)O6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 28°. 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 CoO6 octahedra that share corners with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(2)O4 tetrahedra, corners with two equivalent Zn(1)O5 trigonal bipyramids, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, and  a faceface with one Mg(1)O6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 28°. 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(2)O4 tetrahedra, and corners with two equivalent Zn(1)O5 trigonal bipyramids. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 49-53°. In the third Co site, Co(3) is bonded in a 5-coordinate geometry to one O(1), two equivalent O(2), and two equivalent O(8) atoms. In the fourth Co site, Co(4) is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to one O(3), one O(5), two equivalent O(1), and two equivalent O(7) atoms. Zn(1) is bonded to one O(3), two equivalent O(6), and two equivalent O(7) atoms to form distorted ZnO5 trigonal bipyramids that share corners with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(2)O4 tetrahedra,  an edgeedge with one Mg(1)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Zn(1)O5 trigonal bipyramids. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 2-58°. There are eight inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(1) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(3), and two equivalent Co(4) atoms to form distorted OMgCo3 trigonal pyramids that share corners with two equivalent O(3)ZnCo3 tetrahedra, corners with three equivalent O(2)MgCo3 tetrahedra, corners with two equivalent O(1)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, and edges with two equivalent O(5)Mg2Co3 square pyramids. In the second O site, O(2) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(1), and two equivalent Co(3) atoms to form distorted OMgCo3 tetrahedra that share corners with two equivalent O(2)MgCo3 tetrahedra, corners with three equivalent O(1)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, and edges with two equivalent O(5)Mg2Co3 square pyramids. In the third O site, O(3) is bonded to one Co(4), two equivalent Co(2), and one Zn(1) atom to form distorted OZnCo3 tetrahedra that share  a cornercorner with one O(5)Mg2Co3 square pyramid, corners with two equivalent O(3)ZnCo3 tetrahedra, and corners with two equivalent O(1)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids. In the fourth O site, O(4) is bonded in a trigonal planar geometry to one Co(2) and two equivalent Co(1) atoms. In the fifth O site, O(5) is bonded to two equivalent Mg(1), one Co(4), and two equivalent Co(1) atoms to form distorted OMg2Co3 square pyramids that share  a cornercorner with one O(3)ZnCo3 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent O(5)Mg2Co3 square pyramids, edges with two equivalent O(2)MgCo3 tetrahedra, and edges with two equivalent O(1)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids. In the sixth O site, O(6) is bonded in a square co-planar geometry to two equivalent Mg(1) and two equivalent Zn(1) atoms. In the seventh O site, O(7) is bonded in a 5-coordinate geometry to one Co(1), two equivalent Co(4), and two equivalent Zn(1) atoms. In the eighth O site, O(8) is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to one Co(2) and two equivalent Co(3) atoms.
MgZn(CoO2)4 crystallizes in the triclinic P1 space group. Mg(1) is bonded to one O(1), one O(2), two equivalent O(5), and two equivalent O(6) atoms to form distorted MgO6 octahedra that share corners with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Zn(1)O5 trigonal bipyramids, edges with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(1)O5 trigonal bipyramid, and  a faceface with one Co(1)O6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 28°. The Mg(1)-O(1) bond length is 2.32 Å. The Mg(1)-O(2) bond length is 2.33 Å. There is one shorter (2.13 Å) and one longer (2.15 Å) Mg(1)-O(5) bond length. There is one shorter (1.99 Å) and one longer (2.00 Å) Mg(1)-O(6) 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 CoO6 octahedra that share corners with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(2)O4 tetrahedra, corners with two equivalent Zn(1)O5 trigonal bipyramids, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, and  a faceface with one Mg(1)O6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 28°. The Co(1)-O(2) bond length is 1.90 Å. The Co(1)-O(7) bond length is 1.86 Å. Both Co(1)-O(4) bond lengths are 1.90 Å. Both Co(1)-O(5) bond lengths are 1.96 Å. 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(2)O4 tetrahedra, and corners with two equivalent Zn(1)O5 trigonal bipyramids. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 49-53°. The Co(2)-O(4) bond length is 1.88 Å. The Co(2)-O(8) bond length is 1.79 Å. There is one shorter (1.87 Å) and one longer (1.94 Å) Co(2)-O(3) bond length. In the third Co site, Co(3) is bonded in a 5-coordinate geometry to one O(1), two equivalent O(2), and two equivalent O(8) atoms. The Co(3)-O(1) bond length is 1.84 Å. There is one shorter (1.98 Å) and one longer (1.99 Å) Co(3)-O(2) bond length. There is one shorter (2.01 Å) and one longer (2.04 Å) Co(3)-O(8) bond length. In the fourth Co site, Co(4) is bonded in a 6-coordinate geometry to one O(3), one O(5), two equivalent O(1), and two equivalent O(7) atoms. The Co(4)-O(3) bond length is 2.04 Å. The Co(4)-O(5) bond length is 2.01 Å. Both Co(4)-O(1) bond lengths are 2.04 Å. There is one shorter (2.29 Å) and one longer (2.30 Å) Co(4)-O(7) bond length. Zn(1) is bonded to one O(3), two equivalent O(6), and two equivalent O(7) atoms to form distorted ZnO5 trigonal bipyramids that share corners with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, corners with two equivalent Co(2)O4 tetrahedra,  an edgeedge with one Mg(1)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Zn(1)O5 trigonal bipyramids. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 2-58°. The Zn(1)-O(3) bond length is 2.18 Å. There is one shorter (2.00 Å) and one longer (2.04 Å) Zn(1)-O(6) bond length. There is one shorter (2.06 Å) and one longer (2.09 Å) Zn(1)-O(7) bond length. There are eight inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(1) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(3), and two equivalent Co(4) atoms to form distorted OMgCo3 trigonal pyramids that share corners with two equivalent O(3)ZnCo3 tetrahedra, corners with three equivalent O(2)MgCo3 tetrahedra, corners with two equivalent O(1)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, and edges with two equivalent O(5)Mg2Co3 square pyramids. In the second O site, O(2) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(1), and two equivalent Co(3) atoms to form distorted OMgCo3 tetrahedra that share corners with two equivalent O(2)MgCo3 tetrahedra, corners with three equivalent O(1)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids, and edges with two equivalent O(5)Mg2Co3 square pyramids. In the third O site, O(3) is bonded to one Co(4), two equivalent Co(2), and one Zn(1) atom to form distorted OZnCo3 tetrahedra that share  a cornercorner with one O(5)Mg2Co3 square pyramid, corners with two equivalent O(3)ZnCo3 tetrahedra, and corners with two equivalent O(1)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids. In the fourth O site, O(4) is bonded in a trigonal planar geometry to one Co(2) and two equivalent Co(1) atoms. In the fifth O site, O(5) is bonded to two equivalent Mg(1), one Co(4), and two equivalent Co(1) atoms to form distorted OMg2Co3 square pyramids that share  a cornercorner with one O(3)ZnCo3 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent O(5)Mg2Co3 square pyramids, edges with two equivalent O(2)MgCo3 tetrahedra, and edges with two equivalent O(1)MgCo3 trigonal pyramids. In the sixth O site, O(6) is bonded in a square co-planar geometry to two equivalent Mg(1) and two equivalent Zn(1) atoms. In the seventh O site, O(7) is bonded in a 5-coordinate geometry to one Co(1), two equivalent Co(4), and two equivalent Zn(1) atoms. In the eighth O site, O(8) is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to one Co(2) and two equivalent Co(3) atoms.