Co5O7 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmcm space group. There are three inequivalent Co sites. In the first Co site, Co(1) is bonded to one O(2), two equivalent O(3), and three equivalent O(1) atoms to form a mixture of distorted edge and corner-sharing CoO6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 17°. In the second Co site, Co(2) is bonded to two equivalent O(3) and four equivalent O(1) atoms to form a mixture of edge and corner-sharing CoO6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 17°. In the third Co site, Co(3) is bonded in a 5-coordinate geometry to one O(4), two equivalent O(2), and two equivalent O(3) atoms. There are four inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(4) is bonded in a bent 150 degrees geometry to two equivalent Co(3) atoms. In the second O site, O(1) is bonded to two equivalent Co(2) and three equivalent Co(1) atoms to form a mixture of edge and corner-sharing OCo5 square pyramids. In the third O site, O(2) is bonded in a distorted trigonal non-coplanar geometry to one Co(1) and two equivalent Co(3) atoms. In the fourth O site, O(3) is bonded to one Co(2), two equivalent Co(1), and two equivalent Co(3) atoms to form a mixture of edge and corner-sharing OCo5 square pyramids.
Co5O7 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmcm space group. There are three inequivalent Co sites. In the first Co site, Co(1) is bonded to one O(2), two equivalent O(3), and three equivalent O(1) atoms to form a mixture of distorted edge and corner-sharing CoO6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 17°. The Co(1)-O(2) bond length is 1.79 Å. Both Co(1)-O(3) bond lengths are 2.06 Å. There is one shorter (2.03 Å) and two longer (2.16 Å) Co(1)-O(1) bond lengths. In the second Co site, Co(2) is bonded to two equivalent O(3) and four equivalent O(1) atoms to form a mixture of edge and corner-sharing CoO6 octahedra. The corner-sharing octahedral tilt angles are 17°. Both Co(2)-O(3) bond lengths are 2.09 Å. All Co(2)-O(1) bond lengths are 2.08 Å. In the third Co site, Co(3) is bonded in a 5-coordinate geometry to one O(4), two equivalent O(2), and two equivalent O(3) atoms. The Co(3)-O(4) bond length is 1.80 Å. Both Co(3)-O(2) bond lengths are 1.98 Å. Both Co(3)-O(3) bond lengths are 2.18 Å. There are four inequivalent O sites. In the first O site, O(4) is bonded in a bent 150 degrees geometry to two equivalent Co(3) atoms. In the second O site, O(1) is bonded to two equivalent Co(2) and three equivalent Co(1) atoms to form a mixture of edge and corner-sharing OCo5 square pyramids. In the third O site, O(2) is bonded in a distorted trigonal non-coplanar geometry to one Co(1) and two equivalent Co(3) atoms. In the fourth O site, O(3) is bonded to one Co(2), two equivalent Co(1), and two equivalent Co(3) atoms to form a mixture of edge and corner-sharing OCo5 square pyramids.