MgZn2(CoO2)4 crystallizes in the triclinic P-1 space group. Mg(1) is bonded to two equivalent O(1), two equivalent O(3), and two equivalent O(4) atoms to form MgO6 octahedra that share corners with six equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(2)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 3-5°. There are four inequivalent Co sites. In the first Co site, Co(1) is bonded to two equivalent O(1), two equivalent O(2), and two equivalent O(3) atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share edges with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(2)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O6 octahedra. In the second Co site, Co(2) is bonded to two equivalent O(2), two equivalent O(3), and two equivalent O(4) atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share edges with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O6 octahedra. In the third Co site, Co(3) is bonded to two equivalent O(1), two equivalent O(3), and two equivalent O(4) atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share corners with six equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(2)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 3-5°. In the fourth Co site, Co(4) is bonded to two equivalent O(1), two equivalent O(2), and two equivalent O(4) atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share edges with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(2)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra. Zn(1) is bonded in a rectangular see-saw-like geometry to one O(1), one O(2), one O(3), and one O(4) atom. There are four inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(1) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(1), one Co(3), one Co(4), and one Zn(1) atom to form OMgZnCo3 square pyramids that share  a cornercorner with one O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramid,  a cornercorner with one O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramid, corners with four equivalent O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramid. In the second O site, O(2) is bonded to one Co(1), one Co(2), one Co(4), and one Zn(1) atom to form distorted OZnCo3 trigonal pyramids that share corners with three equivalent O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids,  an edgeedge with one O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramid,  an edgeedge with one O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramid, and  an edgeedge with one O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramid. In the third O site, O(3) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(1), one Co(2), one Co(3), and one Zn(1) atom to form OMgZnCo3 square pyramids that share  a cornercorner with one O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramid,  a cornercorner with one O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramid, corners with four equivalent O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramid. In the fourth O site, O(4) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(2), one Co(3), one Co(4), and one Zn(1) atom to form OMgZnCo3 square pyramids that share  a cornercorner with one O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramid,  a cornercorner with one O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramid, corners with four equivalent O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramid.
MgZn2(CoO2)4 crystallizes in the triclinic P-1 space group. Mg(1) is bonded to two equivalent O(1), two equivalent O(3), and two equivalent O(4) atoms to form MgO6 octahedra that share corners with six equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(2)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 3-5°. Both Mg(1)-O(1) bond lengths are 2.11 Å. Both Mg(1)-O(3) bond lengths are 2.13 Å. Both Mg(1)-O(4) bond lengths are 2.10 Å. There are four inequivalent Co sites. In the first Co site, Co(1) is bonded to two equivalent O(1), two equivalent O(2), and two equivalent O(3) atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share edges with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(2)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O6 octahedra. Both Co(1)-O(1) bond lengths are 2.13 Å. Both Co(1)-O(2) bond lengths are 2.02 Å. Both Co(1)-O(3) bond lengths are 2.13 Å. In the second Co site, Co(2) is bonded to two equivalent O(2), two equivalent O(3), and two equivalent O(4) atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share edges with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O6 octahedra. Both Co(2)-O(2) bond lengths are 1.94 Å. Both Co(2)-O(3) bond lengths are 2.07 Å. Both Co(2)-O(4) bond lengths are 2.11 Å. In the third Co site, Co(3) is bonded to two equivalent O(1), two equivalent O(3), and two equivalent O(4) atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share corners with six equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(2)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(4)O6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles range from 3-5°. Both Co(3)-O(1) bond lengths are 2.22 Å. Both Co(3)-O(3) bond lengths are 2.20 Å. Both Co(3)-O(4) bond lengths are 2.17 Å. In the fourth Co site, Co(4) is bonded to two equivalent O(1), two equivalent O(2), and two equivalent O(4) atoms to form CoO6 octahedra that share edges with two equivalent Mg(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(1)O6 octahedra, edges with two equivalent Co(2)O6 octahedra, and edges with two equivalent Co(3)O6 octahedra. Both Co(4)-O(1) bond lengths are 2.04 Å. Both Co(4)-O(2) bond lengths are 1.96 Å. Both Co(4)-O(4) bond lengths are 2.12 Å. Zn(1) is bonded in a rectangular see-saw-like geometry to one O(1), one O(2), one O(3), and one O(4) atom. The Zn(1)-O(1) bond length is 2.07 Å. The Zn(1)-O(2) bond length is 1.86 Å. The Zn(1)-O(3) bond length is 2.06 Å. The Zn(1)-O(4) bond length is 2.11 Å. There are four inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(1) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(1), one Co(3), one Co(4), and one Zn(1) atom to form OMgZnCo3 square pyramids that share  a cornercorner with one O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramid,  a cornercorner with one O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramid, corners with four equivalent O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramid. In the second O site, O(2) is bonded to one Co(1), one Co(2), one Co(4), and one Zn(1) atom to form distorted OZnCo3 trigonal pyramids that share corners with three equivalent O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids,  an edgeedge with one O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramid,  an edgeedge with one O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramid, and  an edgeedge with one O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramid. In the third O site, O(3) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(1), one Co(2), one Co(3), and one Zn(1) atom to form OMgZnCo3 square pyramids that share  a cornercorner with one O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramid,  a cornercorner with one O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramid, corners with four equivalent O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramid. In the fourth O site, O(4) is bonded to one Mg(1), one Co(2), one Co(3), one Co(4), and one Zn(1) atom to form OMgZnCo3 square pyramids that share  a cornercorner with one O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramid,  a cornercorner with one O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramid, corners with four equivalent O(4)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, corners with three equivalent O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(1)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, edges with three equivalent O(3)MgZnCo3 square pyramids, and  an edgeedge with one O(2)ZnCo3 trigonal pyramid.