DOE OSTI2020
U(PtGe)2 crystallizes in the tetragonal P4/nmm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. U is bonded in a 12-coordinate geometry to eight Pt and eight Ge atoms. There are four shorter (3.28 Å) and four longer (3.33 Å) U–Pt bond lengths. There are four shorter (3.26 Å) and four longer (3.33 Å) U–Ge bond lengths. There are two inequivalent Pt sites. In the first Pt site, Pt is bonded to four equivalent U and four equivalent Ge atoms to form distorted PtU4Ge4 tetrahedra that share corners with twelve equivalent GeU4Pt4 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent GeU4Pt4 tetrahedra, edges with four equivalent PtU4Ge4 tetrahedra, and faces with four equivalent PtU4Ge4 tetrahedra. All Pt–Ge bond lengths are 2.55 Å. In the second Pt site, Pt is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to four equivalent U and five Ge atoms. There are one shorter (2.41 Å) and four longer (2.51 Å) Pt–Ge bond lengths. There are two inequivalent Ge sites. In the first Ge site, Ge is bonded to four equivalent U and four equivalent Pt atoms to form distorted GeU4Pt4 tetrahedra that share corners with twelve equivalent PtU4Ge4 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent PtU4Ge4 tetrahedra, edges with four equivalent GeU4Pt4 tetrahedra, and faces with four equivalent GeU4Pt4 tetrahedra. In the second Ge site, Ge is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to four equivalent U and five Pt atoms.