Dy2Zn17 crystallizes in the trigonal R-3m space group. Dy(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 Dy(1), one Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form distorted ZnDy3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with five equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with five equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with three equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded in a 14-coordinate geometry to one Dy(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 Dy(1), two equivalent Zn(2), four equivalent Zn(1), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form ZnDy2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with six equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded to two equivalent Dy(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(3), two equivalent Zn(4), and four equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form distorted ZnDy2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra.
Dy2Zn17 crystallizes in the trigonal R-3m space group. Dy(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 Dy(1)-Zn(2) bond length is 3.05 Å. All Dy(1)-Zn(3) bond lengths are 3.37 Å. All Dy(1)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 3.13 Å. There are a spread of Dy(1)-Zn(1) bond distances ranging from 3.17-3.39 Å. There are four inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded to three equivalent Dy(1), one Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form distorted ZnDy3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with five equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with five equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with three equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 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 (2.68 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 Dy(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 2.92 Å. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded to two equivalent Dy(1), two equivalent Zn(2), four equivalent Zn(1), and four equivalent Zn(4) atoms to form ZnDy2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with ten equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with six equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with six equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with eight equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra. All Zn(3)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.54 Å. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded to two equivalent Dy(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(3), two equivalent Zn(4), and four equivalent Zn(1) atoms to form distorted ZnDy2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with twelve equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(3)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with seven equivalent Zn(4)Dy2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with ten equivalent Zn(1)Dy3Zn9 cuboctahedra. Both Zn(4)-Zn(4) bond lengths are 2.62 Å.