Mg5Te crystallizes in the trigonal R32 space group. There are two inequivalent Mg sites. In the first Mg site, Mg(1) is bonded to four equivalent Mg(2), six equivalent Mg(1), and two equivalent Te(1) atoms to form distorted MgMg10Te2 cuboctahedra that share corners with eighteen equivalent Mg(1)Mg10Te2 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Te(1)Mg12 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Mg(1)Mg10Te2 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Te(1)Mg12 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Mg(1)Mg10Te2 cuboctahedra. In the second Mg site, Mg(2) is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to six equivalent Mg(1) and three equivalent Te(1) atoms. Te(1) is bonded to six equivalent Mg(1) and six equivalent Mg(2) atoms to form TeMg12 cuboctahedra that share corners with six equivalent Te(1)Mg12 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Te(1)Mg12 cuboctahedra, edges with twelve equivalent Mg(1)Mg10Te2 cuboctahedra, and faces with twelve equivalent Mg(1)Mg10Te2 cuboctahedra.
Mg5Te crystallizes in the trigonal R32 space group. There are two inequivalent Mg sites. In the first Mg site, Mg(1) is bonded to four equivalent Mg(2), six equivalent Mg(1), and two equivalent Te(1) atoms to form distorted MgMg10Te2 cuboctahedra that share corners with eighteen equivalent Mg(1)Mg10Te2 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Te(1)Mg12 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Mg(1)Mg10Te2 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Te(1)Mg12 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Mg(1)Mg10Te2 cuboctahedra. There are two shorter (3.19 Å) and two longer (3.27 Å) Mg(1)-Mg(2) bond lengths. There are two shorter (3.20 Å) and four longer (3.23 Å) Mg(1)-Mg(1) bond lengths. Both Mg(1)-Te(1) bond lengths are 3.23 Å. In the second Mg site, Mg(2) is bonded in a distorted trigonal planar geometry to six equivalent Mg(1) and three equivalent Te(1) atoms. All Mg(2)-Te(1) bond lengths are 3.22 Å. Te(1) is bonded to six equivalent Mg(1) and six equivalent Mg(2) atoms to form TeMg12 cuboctahedra that share corners with six equivalent Te(1)Mg12 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Te(1)Mg12 cuboctahedra, edges with twelve equivalent Mg(1)Mg10Te2 cuboctahedra, and faces with twelve equivalent Mg(1)Mg10Te2 cuboctahedra.