DOE OSTI2020
UIr2Ge2 crystallizes in the tetragonal P4/nmm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. U is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to eight Ir and eight Ge atoms. There are four shorter (3.18 Å) and four longer (3.36 Å) U–Ir bond lengths. There are four shorter (3.23 Å) and four longer (3.24 Å) U–Ge bond lengths. There are two inequivalent Ir sites. In the first Ir site, Ir is bonded to four equivalent U and four equivalent Ge atoms to form distorted IrU4Ge4 tetrahedra that share corners with twelve equivalent GeU4Ir4 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent GeU4Ir4 tetrahedra, edges with four equivalent IrU4Ge4 tetrahedra, and faces with four equivalent IrU4Ge4 tetrahedra. All Ir–Ge bond lengths are 2.50 Å. In the second Ir site, Ir is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to four equivalent U and five Ge atoms. There are one shorter (2.40 Å) and four longer (2.49 Å) Ir–Ge bond lengths. There are two inequivalent Ge sites. In the first Ge site, Ge is bonded to four equivalent U and four equivalent Ir atoms to form distorted GeU4Ir4 tetrahedra that share corners with twelve equivalent IrU4Ge4 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent IrU4Ge4 tetrahedra, edges with four equivalent GeU4Ir4 tetrahedra, and faces with four equivalent GeU4Ir4 tetrahedra. In the second Ge site, Ge is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to four equivalent U and five Ir atoms.