Dy2Zn17 crystallizes in the hexagonal P6_3/mmc space group. There are two inequivalent Dy sites. In the first Dy site, Dy(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to six equivalent Zn(1) and twelve equivalent Zn(3) atoms. In the second Dy site, Dy(2) is bonded in a 20-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Zn(4), six equivalent Zn(1), six equivalent Zn(2), and six equivalent Zn(3) atoms. There are four inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded to one Dy(1), one Dy(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(4), and four equivalent Zn(3) atoms to form distorted ZnDy2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded to two equivalent Dy(2), two equivalent Zn(4), four equivalent Zn(1), and four equivalent Zn(3) atoms to form ZnDy2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with six equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded to one Dy(2), two equivalent Dy(1), one Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form distorted ZnDy3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with five equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with five equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with eight equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded in a 14-coordinate geometry to one Dy(2), one Zn(4), three equivalent Zn(2), three equivalent Zn(3), and six equivalent Zn(1) atoms.
Dy2Zn17 crystallizes in the hexagonal P6_3/mmc space group. There are two inequivalent Dy sites. In the first Dy site, Dy(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to six equivalent Zn(1) and twelve equivalent Zn(3) atoms. All Dy(1)-Zn(1) bond lengths are 3.10 Å. There are six shorter (3.18 Å) and six longer (3.41 Å) Dy(1)-Zn(3) bond lengths. In the second Dy site, Dy(2) is bonded in a 20-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Zn(4), six equivalent Zn(1), six equivalent Zn(2), and six equivalent Zn(3) atoms. Both Dy(2)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 3.05 Å. All Dy(2)-Zn(1) bond lengths are 3.16 Å. All Dy(2)-Zn(2) bond lengths are 3.35 Å. All Dy(2)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 3.29 Å. There are four inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded to one Dy(1), one Dy(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(4), and four equivalent Zn(3) atoms to form distorted ZnDy2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra. There is one shorter (2.56 Å) and one longer (2.68 Å) Zn(1)-Zn(1) bond length. Both Zn(1)-Zn(2) bond lengths are 2.56 Å. Both Zn(1)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.92 Å. There are two shorter (2.68 Å) and two longer (2.69 Å) Zn(1)-Zn(3) bond lengths. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded to two equivalent Dy(2), two equivalent Zn(4), four equivalent Zn(1), and four equivalent Zn(3) atoms to form ZnDy2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with six equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra. Both Zn(2)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.70 Å. All Zn(2)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 2.60 Å. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded to one Dy(2), two equivalent Dy(1), one Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form distorted ZnDy3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with five equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with five equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(2)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with eight equivalent Zn(3)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(1)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra. The Zn(3)-Zn(4) bond length is 2.83 Å. Both Zn(3)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 2.51 Å. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded in a 14-coordinate geometry to one Dy(2), one Zn(4), three equivalent Zn(2), three equivalent Zn(3), and six equivalent Zn(1) atoms. The Zn(4)-Zn(4) bond length is 2.57 Å.