Ho2Zn17 crystallizes in the trigonal R-3m space group. Ho(1) is bonded in a 19-coordinate geometry to one Zn(2), three equivalent Zn(3), six equivalent Zn(4), and nine equivalent Zn(1) atoms. There are four inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded to three equivalent Ho(1), one Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form distorted ZnHo3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with five equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with five equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with three equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded in a 14-coordinate geometry to one Ho(1), one Zn(2), three equivalent Zn(1), three equivalent Zn(3), and six equivalent Zn(4) atoms. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded to two equivalent Ho(1), two equivalent Zn(2), four equivalent Zn(1), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form ZnHo2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with six equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded to two equivalent Ho(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(3), two equivalent Zn(4), and four equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form distorted ZnHo2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra.
Ho2Zn17 crystallizes in the trigonal R-3m space group. Ho(1) is bonded in a 19-coordinate geometry to one Zn(2), three equivalent Zn(3), six equivalent Zn(4), and nine equivalent Zn(1) atoms. The Ho(1)-Zn(2) bond length is 3.05 Å. All Ho(1)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 3.36 Å. All Ho(1)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 3.12 Å. There are a spread of Ho(1)-Zn(1) bond distances ranging from 3.16-3.39 Å. There are four inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded to three equivalent Ho(1), one Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form distorted ZnHo3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with five equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with five equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with three equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra. The Zn(1)-Zn(2) bond length is 2.82 Å. Both Zn(1)-Zn(1) bond lengths are 2.52 Å. Both Zn(1)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 2.59 Å. There are two shorter (2.67 Å) and two longer (2.70 Å) Zn(1)-Zn(4) bond lengths. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded in a 14-coordinate geometry to one Ho(1), one Zn(2), three equivalent Zn(1), three equivalent Zn(3), and six equivalent Zn(4) atoms. The Zn(2)-Zn(2) bond length is 2.58 Å. All Zn(2)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 2.70 Å. All Zn(2)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.93 Å. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded to two equivalent Ho(1), two equivalent Zn(2), four equivalent Zn(1), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form ZnHo2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with six equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra. All Zn(3)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.54 Å. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded to two equivalent Ho(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(3), two equivalent Zn(4), and four equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form distorted ZnHo2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(3)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(4)Ho2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(1)Ho3Zn9 cuboctahedra. Both Zn(4)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.63 Å.