The compound described by Yb2Zn17 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmcm space group. There are two inequivalent Yb sites. In the first Yb site, Yb(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(5), two equivalent Zn(6), four equivalent Zn(8), and eight equivalent Zn(7) atoms. In the second Yb site, Yb(2) is bonded in a 20-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(3), two equivalent Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(5), two equivalent Zn(6), two equivalent Zn(8), four equivalent Zn(2), and four equivalent Zn(7) atoms. There are eight inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to one Yb(2), one Zn(1), one Zn(3), one Zn(8), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(5), and two equivalent Zn(7) atoms. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded to two equivalent Yb(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(6), two equivalent Zn(7), and two equivalent Zn(8) atoms to form ZnYb2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with two equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with two equivalent Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with four equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded to two equivalent Yb(2), two equivalent Zn(1), four equivalent Zn(5), and four equivalent Zn(7) atoms to form ZnYb2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with four equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with six equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with four equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to one Yb(1), one Yb(2), one Zn(4), one Zn(6), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(7), and two equivalent Zn(8) atoms. In the fifth Zn site, Zn(5) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to one Yb(1), one Yb(2), one Zn(5), one Zn(6), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(7) atoms. In the sixth Zn site, Zn(6) is bonded in a 10-coordinate geometry to one Yb(1), one Yb(2), one Zn(4), one Zn(5), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(7), and two equivalent Zn(8) atoms. In the seventh Zn site, Zn(7) is bonded to one Yb(2), two equivalent Yb(1), one Zn(1), one Zn(2), one Zn(3), one Zn(4), one Zn(6), one Zn(7), one Zn(8), and two equivalent Zn(5) atoms to form distorted ZnYb3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share  a cornercorner with one Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with three equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with seven equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra,  a faceface with one Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  a faceface with one Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with three equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with five equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra. In the eighth Zn site, Zn(8) is bonded to one Yb(2), two equivalent Yb(1), one Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(6), and two equivalent Zn(7) atoms to form distorted ZnYb3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with two equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with three equivalent Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with four equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with six equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with six equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra. is represented by the CIF file [CIF]
data_Yb2Zn17
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M   'P 1'
_cell_length_a   8.705
_cell_length_b   9.024
_cell_length_c   9.024
_cell_angle_alpha   119.799
_cell_angle_beta   90.000
_cell_angle_gamma   90.000
_symmetry_Int_Tables_number   1
_cell_volume   615.156
_cell_formula_units_Z   2
loop_
 _symmetry_equiv_pos_site_id
 _symmetry_equiv_pos_as_xyz
  1  'x, y, z'
loop_
 _atom_site_type_symbol
 _atom_site_label
 _atom_site_symmetry_multiplicity
 _atom_site_fract_x
 _atom_site_fract_y
 _atom_site_fract_z
 _atom_site_occupancy
  Yb  Yb0  1  0.750  0.000  1.000  1.0
  Yb  Yb1  1  0.250  1.000  0.000  1.0
  Yb  Yb2  1  0.250  0.667  0.333  1.0
  Yb  Yb3  1  0.750  0.333  0.667  1.0
  Zn  Zn4  1  0.592  0.667  0.333  1.0
  Zn  Zn5  1  0.408  0.333  0.667  1.0
  Zn  Zn6  1  0.092  0.333  0.667  1.0
  Zn  Zn7  1  0.908  0.667  0.333  1.0
  Zn  Zn8  1  0.500  0.500  0.000  1.0
  Zn  Zn9  1  0.500  0.500  0.500  1.0
  Zn  Zn10  1  0.500  0.000  0.500  1.0
  Zn  Zn11  1  0.000  0.500  0.000  1.0
  Zn  Zn12  1  0.000  0.500  0.500  1.0
  Zn  Zn13  1  0.000  0.000  0.500  1.0
  Zn  Zn14  1  0.750  0.670  0.029  1.0
  Zn  Zn15  1  0.750  0.359  0.330  1.0
  Zn  Zn16  1  0.750  0.971  0.642  1.0
  Zn  Zn17  1  0.750  0.358  0.029  1.0
  Zn  Zn18  1  0.750  0.971  0.330  1.0
  Zn  Zn19  1  0.750  0.670  0.641  1.0
  Zn  Zn20  1  0.250  0.330  0.971  1.0
  Zn  Zn21  1  0.250  0.641  0.670  1.0
  Zn  Zn22  1  0.250  0.029  0.358  1.0
  Zn  Zn23  1  0.250  0.642  0.971  1.0
  Zn  Zn24  1  0.250  0.029  0.670  1.0
  Zn  Zn25  1  0.250  0.330  0.359  1.0
  Zn  Zn26  1  0.482  0.836  0.672  1.0
  Zn  Zn27  1  0.482  0.836  0.164  1.0
  Zn  Zn28  1  0.482  0.328  0.164  1.0
  Zn  Zn29  1  0.518  0.164  0.328  1.0
  Zn  Zn30  1  0.518  0.164  0.836  1.0
  Zn  Zn31  1  0.518  0.672  0.836  1.0
  Zn  Zn32  1  0.982  0.164  0.328  1.0
  Zn  Zn33  1  0.982  0.164  0.836  1.0
  Zn  Zn34  1  0.982  0.672  0.836  1.0
  Zn  Zn35  1  0.018  0.836  0.672  1.0
  Zn  Zn36  1  0.018  0.836  0.164  1.0
  Zn  Zn37  1  0.018  0.328  0.164  1.0
[/CIF]
.
The compound described by Yb2Zn17 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Cmcm space group. There are two inequivalent Yb sites. In the first Yb site, Yb(1) is bonded in a 18-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(5), two equivalent Zn(6), four equivalent Zn(8), and eight equivalent Zn(7) atoms. In the second Yb site, Yb(2) is bonded in a 20-coordinate geometry to two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(3), two equivalent Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(5), two equivalent Zn(6), two equivalent Zn(8), four equivalent Zn(2), and four equivalent Zn(7) atoms. There are eight inequivalent Zn sites. In the first Zn site, Zn(1) is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to one Yb(2), one Zn(1), one Zn(3), one Zn(8), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(5), and two equivalent Zn(7) atoms. In the second Zn site, Zn(2) is bonded to two equivalent Yb(2), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(6), two equivalent Zn(7), and two equivalent Zn(8) atoms to form ZnYb2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with two equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with two equivalent Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with eight equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with four equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra. In the third Zn site, Zn(3) is bonded to two equivalent Yb(2), two equivalent Zn(1), four equivalent Zn(5), and four equivalent Zn(7) atoms to form ZnYb2Zn10 cuboctahedra that share corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with four equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with six equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with four equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, and faces with four equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra. In the fourth Zn site, Zn(4) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to one Yb(1), one Yb(2), one Zn(4), one Zn(6), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(7), and two equivalent Zn(8) atoms. In the fifth Zn site, Zn(5) is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to one Yb(1), one Yb(2), one Zn(5), one Zn(6), two equivalent Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(3), and four equivalent Zn(7) atoms. In the sixth Zn site, Zn(6) is bonded in a 10-coordinate geometry to one Yb(1), one Yb(2), one Zn(4), one Zn(5), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(7), and two equivalent Zn(8) atoms. In the seventh Zn site, Zn(7) is bonded to one Yb(2), two equivalent Yb(1), one Zn(1), one Zn(2), one Zn(3), one Zn(4), one Zn(6), one Zn(7), one Zn(8), and two equivalent Zn(5) atoms to form distorted ZnYb3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share  a cornercorner with one Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with three equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with four equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with seven equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with three equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra,  a faceface with one Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  a faceface with one Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with three equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with five equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra. In the eighth Zn site, Zn(8) is bonded to one Yb(2), two equivalent Yb(1), one Zn(1), two equivalent Zn(2), two equivalent Zn(4), two equivalent Zn(6), and two equivalent Zn(7) atoms to form distorted ZnYb3Zn9 cuboctahedra that share corners with two equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with three equivalent Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, corners with four equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, corners with six equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(3)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra,  an edgeedge with one Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, edges with two equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, edges with four equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(2)Yb2Zn10 cuboctahedra, faces with two equivalent Zn(8)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra, and faces with six equivalent Zn(7)Yb3Zn9 cuboctahedra. is represented by the CIF file [CIF]
data_Yb2Zn17
_symmetry_space_group_name_H-M   'P 1'
_cell_length_a   8.705
_cell_length_b   9.024
_cell_length_c   9.024
_cell_angle_alpha   119.799
_cell_angle_beta   90.000
_cell_angle_gamma   90.000
_symmetry_Int_Tables_number   1
_cell_volume   615.156
_cell_formula_units_Z   2
loop_
 _symmetry_equiv_pos_site_id
 _symmetry_equiv_pos_as_xyz
  1  'x, y, z'
loop_
 _atom_site_type_symbol
 _atom_site_label
 _atom_site_symmetry_multiplicity
 _atom_site_fract_x
 _atom_site_fract_y
 _atom_site_fract_z
 _atom_site_occupancy
  Yb  Yb0  1  0.750  0.000  1.000  1.0
  Yb  Yb1  1  0.250  1.000  0.000  1.0
  Yb  Yb2  1  0.250  0.667  0.333  1.0
  Yb  Yb3  1  0.750  0.333  0.667  1.0
  Zn  Zn4  1  0.592  0.667  0.333  1.0
  Zn  Zn5  1  0.408  0.333  0.667  1.0
  Zn  Zn6  1  0.092  0.333  0.667  1.0
  Zn  Zn7  1  0.908  0.667  0.333  1.0
  Zn  Zn8  1  0.500  0.500  0.000  1.0
  Zn  Zn9  1  0.500  0.500  0.500  1.0
  Zn  Zn10  1  0.500  0.000  0.500  1.0
  Zn  Zn11  1  0.000  0.500  0.000  1.0
  Zn  Zn12  1  0.000  0.500  0.500  1.0
  Zn  Zn13  1  0.000  0.000  0.500  1.0
  Zn  Zn14  1  0.750  0.670  0.029  1.0
  Zn  Zn15  1  0.750  0.359  0.330  1.0
  Zn  Zn16  1  0.750  0.971  0.642  1.0
  Zn  Zn17  1  0.750  0.358  0.029  1.0
  Zn  Zn18  1  0.750  0.971  0.330  1.0
  Zn  Zn19  1  0.750  0.670  0.641  1.0
  Zn  Zn20  1  0.250  0.330  0.971  1.0
  Zn  Zn21  1  0.250  0.641  0.670  1.0
  Zn  Zn22  1  0.250  0.029  0.358  1.0
  Zn  Zn23  1  0.250  0.642  0.971  1.0
  Zn  Zn24  1  0.250  0.029  0.670  1.0
  Zn  Zn25  1  0.250  0.330  0.359  1.0
  Zn  Zn26  1  0.482  0.836  0.672  1.0
  Zn  Zn27  1  0.482  0.836  0.164  1.0
  Zn  Zn28  1  0.482  0.328  0.164  1.0
  Zn  Zn29  1  0.518  0.164  0.328  1.0
  Zn  Zn30  1  0.518  0.164  0.836  1.0
  Zn  Zn31  1  0.518  0.672  0.836  1.0
  Zn  Zn32  1  0.982  0.164  0.328  1.0
  Zn  Zn33  1  0.982  0.164  0.836  1.0
  Zn  Zn34  1  0.982  0.672  0.836  1.0
  Zn  Zn35  1  0.018  0.836  0.672  1.0
  Zn  Zn36  1  0.018  0.836  0.164  1.0
  Zn  Zn37  1  0.018  0.328  0.164  1.0
[/CIF]
.