Ho8(AlGe3)3 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/m space group. There are four inequivalent Ho sites. In the first Ho site, Ho(1) is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Al(1), one Ge(3), two equivalent Ge(4), and three equivalent Ge(1) atoms. In the second Ho site, Ho(2) is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Ge(3), three equivalent Ge(5), and four equivalent Ge(2) atoms. In the third Ho site, Ho(3) is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Al(1), one Ge(1), one Ge(5), two equivalent Ge(2), and three equivalent Ge(3) atoms. In the fourth Ho site, Ho(4) is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Al(2), two equivalent Ge(1), and four equivalent Ge(4) atoms. There are two inequivalent Al sites. In the first Al site, Al(1) is bonded in a 4-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Ho(1), two equivalent Ho(3), two equivalent Ge(1), and two equivalent Ge(3) atoms. In the second Al site, Al(2) is bonded in a 4-coordinate geometry to four equivalent Ho(4) and four equivalent Ge(4) atoms. There are five inequivalent Ge sites. In the first Ge site, Ge(1) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to one Ho(3), two equivalent Ho(4), three equivalent Ho(1), two equivalent Al(1), and one Ge(4) atom. In the second Ge site, Ge(2) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Ho(3), four equivalent Ho(2), one Ge(3), and two equivalent Ge(5) atoms. In the third Ge site, Ge(3) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to one Ho(1), two equivalent Ho(2), three equivalent Ho(3), two equivalent Al(1), and one Ge(2) atom. In the fourth Ge site, Ge(4) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Ho(1), four equivalent Ho(4), two equivalent Al(2), and one Ge(1) atom. In the fifth Ge site, Ge(5) is bonded to two equivalent Ho(3), six equivalent Ho(2), and four equivalent Ge(2) atoms to form a mixture of distorted edge and face-sharing GeHo8Ge4 cuboctahedra.
Ho8(AlGe3)3 crystallizes in the monoclinic C2/m space group. There are four inequivalent Ho sites. In the first Ho site, Ho(1) is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Al(1), one Ge(3), two equivalent Ge(4), and three equivalent Ge(1) atoms. Both Ho(1)-Al(1) bond lengths are 3.19 Å. The Ho(1)-Ge(3) bond length is 2.99 Å. Both Ho(1)-Ge(4) bond lengths are 3.03 Å. There is one shorter (3.01 Å) and two longer (3.04 Å) Ho(1)-Ge(1) bond lengths. In the second Ho site, Ho(2) is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Ge(3), three equivalent Ge(5), and four equivalent Ge(2) atoms. Both Ho(2)-Ge(3) bond lengths are 3.07 Å. There are two shorter (3.15 Å) and one longer (3.60 Å) Ho(2)-Ge(5) bond length. There are two shorter (3.02 Å) and two longer (3.03 Å) Ho(2)-Ge(2) bond lengths. In the third Ho site, Ho(3) is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Al(1), one Ge(1), one Ge(5), two equivalent Ge(2), and three equivalent Ge(3) atoms. Both Ho(3)-Al(1) bond lengths are 3.20 Å. The Ho(3)-Ge(1) bond length is 3.01 Å. The Ho(3)-Ge(5) bond length is 3.55 Å. Both Ho(3)-Ge(2) bond lengths are 3.00 Å. There is one shorter (2.98 Å) and two longer (3.06 Å) Ho(3)-Ge(3) bond lengths. In the fourth Ho site, Ho(4) is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Al(2), two equivalent Ge(1), and four equivalent Ge(4) atoms. Both Ho(4)-Al(2) bond lengths are 3.19 Å. Both Ho(4)-Ge(1) bond lengths are 3.02 Å. There are a spread of Ho(4)-Ge(4) bond distances ranging from 3.00-3.04 Å. There are two inequivalent Al sites. In the first Al site, Al(1) is bonded in a 4-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Ho(1), two equivalent Ho(3), two equivalent Ge(1), and two equivalent Ge(3) atoms. Both Al(1)-Ge(1) bond lengths are 2.67 Å. Both Al(1)-Ge(3) bond lengths are 2.65 Å. In the second Al site, Al(2) is bonded in a 4-coordinate geometry to four equivalent Ho(4) and four equivalent Ge(4) atoms. All Al(2)-Ge(4) bond lengths are 2.68 Å. There are five inequivalent Ge sites. In the first Ge site, Ge(1) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to one Ho(3), two equivalent Ho(4), three equivalent Ho(1), two equivalent Al(1), and one Ge(4) atom. The Ge(1)-Ge(4) bond length is 2.60 Å. In the second Ge site, Ge(2) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Ho(3), four equivalent Ho(2), one Ge(3), and two equivalent Ge(5) atoms. The Ge(2)-Ge(3) bond length is 2.56 Å. Both Ge(2)-Ge(5) bond lengths are 2.73 Å. In the third Ge site, Ge(3) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to one Ho(1), two equivalent Ho(2), three equivalent Ho(3), two equivalent Al(1), and one Ge(2) atom. In the fourth Ge site, Ge(4) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Ho(1), four equivalent Ho(4), two equivalent Al(2), and one Ge(1) atom. In the fifth Ge site, Ge(5) is bonded to two equivalent Ho(3), six equivalent Ho(2), and four equivalent Ge(2) atoms to form a mixture of distorted edge and face-sharing GeHo8Ge4 cuboctahedra.