Nd2Zn17 crystallizes in the hexagonal P6_3/mmc space group. There are two inequivalent Nd sites. In the first Nd site, Nd(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to six equivalent Zn(3) and twelve equivalent Zn(4) atoms. In the second Nd site, Nd(2) is bonded in a 20-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Zn(1), six equivalent Zn(2), six equivalent Zn(3), and six equivalent Zn(4) atoms. There are four inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded in a 14-coordinate geometry to one Nd(2), one Zn(1), three equivalent Zn(2), three equivalent Zn(4), and six equivalent Zn(3) atoms. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded to two equivalent Nd(2), two equivalent Zn(1), four equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form ZnNd2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Nd2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with six equivalent Zn(2)Nd2Zn10 cuboctahedra. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to one Nd(1), one Nd(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded to one Nd(2), two equivalent Nd(1), one Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(4), and four equivalent Zn(3) atoms to form distorted ZnNd3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with five equivalent Zn(2)Nd2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(2)Nd2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with five equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(2)Nd2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra.
Nd2Zn17 crystallizes in the hexagonal P6_3/mmc space group. There are two inequivalent Nd sites. In the first Nd site, Nd(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to six equivalent Zn(3) and twelve equivalent Zn(4) atoms. All Nd(1)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 3.18 Å. There are six shorter (3.26 Å) and six longer (3.46 Å) Nd(1)-Zn(4) bond lengths. In the second Nd site, Nd(2) is bonded in a 20-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Zn(1), six equivalent Zn(2), six equivalent Zn(3), and six equivalent Zn(4) atoms. Both Nd(2)-Zn(1) bond lengths are 3.06 Å. All Nd(2)-Zn(2) bond lengths are 3.41 Å. All Nd(2)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 3.23 Å. All Nd(2)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 3.38 Å. There are four inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded in a 14-coordinate geometry to one Nd(2), one Zn(1), three equivalent Zn(2), three equivalent Zn(4), and six equivalent Zn(3) atoms. The Zn(1)-Zn(1) bond length is 2.64 Å. All Zn(1)-Zn(2) bond lengths are 2.76 Å. All Zn(1)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.88 Å. All Zn(1)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 3.01 Å. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded to two equivalent Nd(2), two equivalent Zn(1), four equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form ZnNd2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Nd2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with six equivalent Zn(2)Nd2Zn10 cuboctahedra. All Zn(2)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 2.60 Å. All Zn(2)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.67 Å. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to one Nd(1), one Nd(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms. There is one shorter (2.65 Å) and one longer (2.76 Å) Zn(3)-Zn(3) bond length. There are two shorter (2.71 Å) and two longer (2.74 Å) Zn(3)-Zn(4) bond lengths. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded to one Nd(2), two equivalent Nd(1), one Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(4), and four equivalent Zn(3) atoms to form distorted ZnNd3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with five equivalent Zn(2)Nd2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(2)Nd2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with five equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(2)Nd2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Zn(4)Nd3Zn9 cuboctahedra. Both Zn(4)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.56 Å.