MgBi5 crystallizes in the trigonal R32 space group. Mg(1) is bonded to six equivalent Bi(1) and six equivalent Bi(2) atoms to form a mixture of corner and edge-sharing MgBi12 cuboctahedra. There are two inequivalent Bi sites. In the first Bi site, Bi(1) is bonded in a distorted bent 150 degrees geometry to two equivalent Mg(1) and four equivalent Bi(2) atoms. In the second Bi site, Bi(2) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Mg(1), three equivalent Bi(2), and six equivalent Bi(1) atoms.
MgBi5 crystallizes in the trigonal R32 space group. Mg(1) is bonded to six equivalent Bi(1) and six equivalent Bi(2) atoms to form a mixture of corner and edge-sharing MgBi12 cuboctahedra. All Mg(1)-Bi(1) bond lengths are 3.45 Å. All Mg(1)-Bi(2) bond lengths are 3.53 Å. There are two inequivalent Bi sites. In the first Bi site, Bi(1) is bonded in a distorted bent 150 degrees geometry to two equivalent Mg(1) and four equivalent Bi(2) atoms. There are two shorter (3.39 Å) and two longer (3.63 Å) Bi(1)-Bi(2) bond lengths. In the second Bi site, Bi(2) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to three equivalent Mg(1), three equivalent Bi(2), and six equivalent Bi(1) atoms. All Bi(2)-Bi(2) bond lengths are 3.54 Å.