DOE OSTI2020
La3Pd4Ge4 crystallizes in the orthorhombic Immm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. there are two inequivalent La sites. In the first La site, La is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to eight Pd and six Ge atoms. There are a spread of La–Pd bond distances ranging from 3.33–3.41 Å. There are two shorter (3.28 Å) and four longer (3.30 Å) La–Ge bond lengths. In the second La site, La is bonded to four equivalent Pd and eight equivalent Ge atoms to form a mixture of face and edge-sharing LaGe8Pd4 cuboctahedra. All La–Pd bond lengths are 3.25 Å. All La–Ge bond lengths are 3.32 Å. There are two inequivalent Pd sites. In the first Pd site, Pd is bonded in a 3-coordinate geometry to six La and three Ge atoms. There are two shorter (2.52 Å) and one longer (2.53 Å) Pd–Ge bond lengths. In the second Pd site, Pd is bonded in a 4-coordinate geometry to four equivalent La and four equivalent Ge atoms. There are two shorter (2.52 Å) and two longer (2.60 Å) Pd–Ge bond lengths. There are two inequivalent Ge sites. In the first Ge site, Ge is bonded in a 2-coordinate geometry to six La, two equivalent Pd, and one Ge atom. The Ge–Ge bond length is 2.53 Å. In the second Ge site, Ge is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to four equivalent La and five Pd atoms.