DOE OSTI2020
URh2Ge2 crystallizes in the tetragonal P4/nmm space group. The structure is three-dimensional. U is bonded in a 8-coordinate geometry to eight Rh and eight Ge atoms. There are four shorter (3.19 Å) and four longer (3.35 Å) U–Rh bond lengths. There are four shorter (3.23 Å) and four longer (3.25 Å) U–Ge bond lengths. There are two inequivalent Rh sites. In the first Rh site, Rh is bonded to four equivalent U and four equivalent Ge atoms to form distorted RhU4Ge4 tetrahedra that share corners with twelve equivalent GeU4Rh4 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent GeU4Rh4 tetrahedra, edges with four equivalent RhU4Ge4 tetrahedra, and faces with four equivalent RhU4Ge4 tetrahedra. All Rh–Ge bond lengths are 2.49 Å. In the second Rh site, Rh is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to four equivalent U and five Ge atoms. There are one shorter (2.42 Å) and four longer (2.49 Å) Rh–Ge bond lengths. There are two inequivalent Ge sites. In the first Ge site, Ge is bonded to four equivalent U and four equivalent Rh atoms to form distorted GeU4Rh4 tetrahedra that share corners with twelve equivalent RhU4Ge4 tetrahedra, edges with two equivalent RhU4Ge4 tetrahedra, edges with four equivalent GeU4Rh4 tetrahedra, and faces with four equivalent GeU4Rh4 tetrahedra. In the second Ge site, Ge is bonded in a 9-coordinate geometry to four equivalent U and five Rh atoms.