MgZn2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmcm space group. Mg(1) is bonded to four equivalent Mg(1), two equivalent Zn(2), and six equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form a mixture of distorted face and corner-sharing MgMg4Zn8 cuboctahedra. There are two inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to six equivalent Mg(1), two equivalent Zn(1), and four equivalent Zn(2) atoms. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Mg(1), four equivalent Zn(1), and six equivalent Zn(2) atoms.
MgZn2 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmcm space group. Mg(1) is bonded to four equivalent Mg(1), two equivalent Zn(2), and six equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form a mixture of distorted face and corner-sharing MgMg4Zn8 cuboctahedra. There are two shorter (2.90 Å) and two longer (3.02 Å) Mg(1)-Mg(1) bond lengths. Both Mg(1)-Zn(2) bond lengths are 2.82 Å. There are four shorter (2.81 Å) and two longer (3.03 Å) Mg(1)-Zn(1) bond lengths. There are two inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to six equivalent Mg(1), two equivalent Zn(1), and four equivalent Zn(2) atoms. Both Zn(1)-Zn(1) bond lengths are 3.02 Å. There are two shorter (2.66 Å) and two longer (2.76 Å) Zn(1)-Zn(2) bond lengths. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Mg(1), four equivalent Zn(1), and six equivalent Zn(2) atoms. There are four shorter (2.76 Å) and two longer (3.02 Å) Zn(2)-Zn(2) bond lengths.