La2Ni7 crystallizes in the trigonal R-3m space group. There are four inequivalent La sites. In the first La site, La(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Ni(2); three equivalent Ni(3); six Ni(4,4); and six equivalent Ni(5) atoms. In the second La site, La(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Ni(2), three equivalent Ni(3), six equivalent Ni(4), and six equivalent Ni(5) atoms. In the third La site, La(2) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Ni(1) and nine equivalent Ni(5) atoms. In the fourth La site, La(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Ni(2); three equivalent Ni(3); six Ni(4,4,4); and six equivalent Ni(5) atoms. There are eight inequivalent Ni sites. In the first Ni site, Ni(4) is bonded to four La(1,1); two equivalent Ni(2); two equivalent Ni(3); and four Ni(4,4) atoms to form NiLa4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; corners with twelve equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; edges with two equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; edges with eight equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; faces with two equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; and faces with eight Ni(4,4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra. In the second Ni site, Ni(1) is bonded to six equivalent La(2) and six equivalent Ni(5) atoms to form NiLa6Ni6 cuboctahedra that share corners with twelve equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Ni(1)La6Ni6 cuboctahedra, and faces with eighteen equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra. In the third Ni site, Ni(2) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to three equivalent La(1), three equivalent Ni(4), and three equivalent Ni(5) atoms. In the fourth Ni site, Ni(4) is bonded to four La(1,1); two equivalent Ni(2); two equivalent Ni(3); and four equivalent Ni(4) atoms to form NiLa4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra, edges with eight equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra. In the fifth Ni site, Ni(3) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to three equivalent La(1); three Ni(4,4); and three equivalent Ni(5) atoms. In the sixth Ni site, Ni(4) is bonded to four equivalent La(1), two equivalent Ni(2), two equivalent Ni(3), and four equivalent Ni(4) atoms to form NiLa4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra, edges with eight equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra. In the seventh Ni site, Ni(5) is bonded to two equivalent La(1), three equivalent La(2), one Ni(1), one Ni(2), one Ni(3), and four equivalent Ni(5) atoms to form distorted NiLa5Ni7 cuboctahedra that share corners with two equivalent Ni(1)La6Ni6 cuboctahedra; corners with six Ni(4,4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; corners with nine equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; edges with four Ni(4,4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; edges with four equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra;  a faceface with one Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; faces with three equivalent Ni(1)La6Ni6 cuboctahedra; and faces with ten equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra. In the eighth Ni site, Ni(4) is bonded to four La(1,1); two equivalent Ni(2); two equivalent Ni(3); and four Ni(4,4) atoms to form NiLa4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; corners with twelve equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; edges with two equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; edges with eight equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; faces with two equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; and faces with eight Ni(4,4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra.
La2Ni7 crystallizes in the trigonal R-3m space group. There are four inequivalent La sites. In the first La site, La(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Ni(2); three equivalent Ni(3); six Ni(4,4); and six equivalent Ni(5) atoms. All La(1)-Ni(2) bond lengths are 2.90 Å. All La(1)-Ni(3) bond lengths are 2.90 Å. All La(1)-Ni(4,4) bond lengths are 3.13 Å. All La(1)-Ni(5) bond lengths are 3.30 Å. In the second La site, La(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Ni(2), three equivalent Ni(3), six equivalent Ni(4), and six equivalent Ni(5) atoms. All La(1)-Ni(2) bond lengths are 2.90 Å. All La(1)-Ni(3) bond lengths are 2.90 Å. All La(1)-Ni(4) bond lengths are 3.13 Å. All La(1)-Ni(5) bond lengths are 3.30 Å. In the third La site, La(2) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Ni(1) and nine equivalent Ni(5) atoms. All La(2)-Ni(1) bond lengths are 2.99 Å. There are six shorter (2.88 Å) and three longer (3.23 Å) La(2)-Ni(5) bond lengths. In the fourth La site, La(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Ni(2); three equivalent Ni(3); six Ni(4,4,4); and six equivalent Ni(5) atoms. All La(1)-Ni(2) bond lengths are 2.90 Å. All La(1)-Ni(3) bond lengths are 2.90 Å. All La(1)-Ni(4,4,4) bond lengths are 3.13 Å. All La(1)-Ni(5) bond lengths are 3.30 Å. There are eight inequivalent Ni sites. In the first Ni site, Ni(4) is bonded to four La(1,1); two equivalent Ni(2); two equivalent Ni(3); and four Ni(4,4) atoms to form NiLa4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; corners with twelve equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; edges with two equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; edges with eight equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; faces with two equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; and faces with eight Ni(4,4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra. Both Ni(4)-La(1) bond lengths are 3.13 Å. Both Ni(4)-Ni(2) bond lengths are 2.49 Å. Both Ni(4)-Ni(3) bond lengths are 2.48 Å. All Ni(4)-Ni(4,4) bond lengths are 2.51 Å. In the second Ni site, Ni(1) is bonded to six equivalent La(2) and six equivalent Ni(5) atoms to form NiLa6Ni6 cuboctahedra that share corners with twelve equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Ni(1)La6Ni6 cuboctahedra, and faces with eighteen equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra. All Ni(1)-Ni(5) bond lengths are 2.59 Å. In the third Ni site, Ni(2) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to three equivalent La(1), three equivalent Ni(4), and three equivalent Ni(5) atoms. All Ni(2)-Ni(4) bond lengths are 2.49 Å. All Ni(2)-Ni(5) bond lengths are 2.46 Å. In the fourth Ni site, Ni(4) is bonded to four La(1,1); two equivalent Ni(2); two equivalent Ni(3); and four equivalent Ni(4) atoms to form NiLa4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra, edges with eight equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra. Both Ni(4)-La(1) bond lengths are 3.13 Å. Both Ni(4)-Ni(2) bond lengths are 2.49 Å. Both Ni(4)-Ni(3) bond lengths are 2.48 Å. All Ni(4)-Ni(4) bond lengths are 2.51 Å. In the fifth Ni site, Ni(3) is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to three equivalent La(1); three Ni(4,4); and three equivalent Ni(5) atoms. All Ni(3)-Ni(5) bond lengths are 2.47 Å. In the sixth Ni site, Ni(4) is bonded to four equivalent La(1), two equivalent Ni(2), two equivalent Ni(3), and four equivalent Ni(4) atoms to form NiLa4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra, edges with eight equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra. Both Ni(4)-Ni(3) bond lengths are 2.48 Å. All Ni(4)-Ni(4) bond lengths are 2.51 Å. In the seventh Ni site, Ni(5) is bonded to two equivalent La(1), three equivalent La(2), one Ni(1), one Ni(2), one Ni(3), and four equivalent Ni(5) atoms to form distorted NiLa5Ni7 cuboctahedra that share corners with two equivalent Ni(1)La6Ni6 cuboctahedra; corners with six Ni(4,4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; corners with nine equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; edges with four Ni(4,4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; edges with four equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra;  a faceface with one Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; faces with three equivalent Ni(1)La6Ni6 cuboctahedra; and faces with ten equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra. There are two shorter (2.50 Å) and two longer (2.52 Å) Ni(5)-Ni(5) bond lengths. In the eighth Ni site, Ni(4) is bonded to four La(1,1); two equivalent Ni(2); two equivalent Ni(3); and four Ni(4,4) atoms to form NiLa4Ni8 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; corners with twelve equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; edges with two equivalent Ni(4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra; edges with eight equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; faces with two equivalent Ni(5)La5Ni7 cuboctahedra; and faces with eight Ni(4,4)La4Ni8 cuboctahedra. Both Ni(4)-La(1) bond lengths are 3.13 Å. Both Ni(4)-Ni(2) bond lengths are 2.49 Å. Both Ni(4)-Ni(3) bond lengths are 2.48 Å. Both Ni(4)-Ni(4) bond lengths are 2.51 Å.