ScienceAugust 18, 2026

rhenium

REE-nee-um

Definition

A rare, dense, silvery-white transition metal, which in this article is referenced as the subject of a historic 1964 chemical synthesis involving quadruple bonding.

Etymology

The name is derived from 'Rhenus', the Latin name for the Rhine River in Germany, as it was discovered in 1925 by German chemists.

In the news

Rhenium is mentioned as the metal used by F. Albert Cotton to demonstrate the first metal-metal quadruple bond, establishing a historical precedent for the high-bond-order chemistry discussed in the article.

Uranium complex smashes record for consecutive bonds between atoms

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Chemistry World

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