| Rhenium information, including Technical Data, Safety Data and its high purity properties, research, applications and other useful facts are discussed below. Scientific facts such as the atomic structure, ionization energy, abundance on Earth, conductivity and thermal properties are included.
 Rhenium is the fourth densest element exceeded only by that of platinum, iridium, and osmium . It has the second highest melting point exceeded only by tungsten and carbon . Rhenium is available as metal and compounds with purities from 99% to 99.999% (ACS grade to ultra-high purity); metals in the form of foil, sputtering target, and rod, and compounds as submicron and nanopowder. Because of this, thermocouples made of Tungsten/Rhenium alloy is are used when temperatures will rise to 2000 C and rhenium wire is used in photoflash lamps for photography. It is widely used as filaments for mass spectrographs and ion gauges. Rhenium is also used as an electrical contact material because it has good wear resistance and withstands arc corrosion. Rhenium-molybdenum alloys are superconductive at 10 Kelvin. Rhenium catalysts are are used for oranic chemical hydrogenation. Rhenium is added to platinum catalysts that are used to produce lead-free gasoline. Due to its high melting point, it is in high-temperature superalloys used for aerospace and filaments for mass spectrographs.
Rhenium facts, including appearance, CAS #, and molecular formula and safety data, research and properties are available for many specific states, forms and shapes on the product pages listed to the left. Elemental or metallic forms include pellets, rod, wire and granules for evaporation source material purposes. Nanoparticles and nanopowders provide ultra high surface area which nanotechnology research and recent experiments demonstrate function to create new and unique properties and benefits.
Oxides are available in forms including powders and dense pellets for such  uses as optical coating and thin film applications. Oxides tend to be insoluble. Fluorides are another insoluble form for uses in which oxygen is undesirable such as metallurgy, chemical and physical vapor deposition and in some optical coatings. Rhenium is available in soluble forms including chlorides, nitrates and acetates. These compounds are also manufactured as solutions at specified stoichiometries.
Rhenium is a Block D, Group 7, Period 6 element. The number of electrons in each of Rhodium's shells is 2, 8, 18, 32, 13, 2 and its electronic configuration is [Xe] 4f14 5d5 6s2. In its elemental form rhenium's CAS number is 7440-15-5. The rhenium atom has a radius of 137.1.pm and it's Van der Waals radius is 200.pm. The toxicity of Rhenium has not yet been established .
 All elemental metals, compounds and solutions may be synthesized in ultra high purity (e.g. 99.999%) for laboratory standards, advanced electronic, thin fillm deposition using sputtering targets and evaporation materials, metallurgy and optical materials and other high technology applications. Information is provided for stable (non-radioactive) isotopes. Organo-Metallic Rhenium compounds are soluble in organic or non-aqueous solvents. See Analytical Services for information on available certified chemical and physical analysis techniques including MS-ICP, X-Ray Diffraction, PSD and Surface Area (BET) analysis.
Rhenium was first discovered by Walter Noddack in 1925 in the Rhine region of Germany. The name Rhenium originates from the Latin word 'Rhenus' meaning "Rhine" after the place of discovery.
 rhénium |
 Rhenium |
 renio |
 Rênio |
 renio |
 Rhenium |
Abundance. The following table shows the abundance of rhenium and each of its naturally occurring isotopes on Earth along with the atomic mass for each isotope.
| Isotope |
Atomic Mass |
% Abundance on Earth |
| Re-185 |
184.952956 |
37.40 |
| Re-187 |
186.955751 |
62.60 |
The following table shows the abundance of Rhenium present in the human body and in the universe scaled to parts per billion (ppb) by weight and by atom:
| |
Typical Human Body |
Universe |
| by Weight |
no data |
0.2 ppb |
| by Atom |
no data |
0.001 ppb |
Safety Data and Biological Role. The safety data for rhenium metal, nanoparticles and its compounds can vary widely depending on the form. For potential hazard information, toxicity, and road, sea and air transportation limitations, such as DOT Hazard Class, DOT Number, EU Number, NFPA Health rating and RTECS Class, please see the specific material or compound referenced in the left margin. Rhenium compounds have no biological role.
Ionization Energy. The ionization energy for rhenium (the least required energy to release a single electron from the atom in it's ground state in the gas phase) is stated in the following table:
| 1st Ionization Energy |
755.82 kJ mol-1 |
| 2nd Ionization Energy |
- kJ mol-1 |
| 3rd Ionization Energy |
- kJ mol-1 |
Conductivity. As to rhenium's electrical and thermal conductivity, the electrical conductivity measured as to electrical resistivity @ 20 ºC is 19.3 μΩcm and its electronegativities (or its ability to draw electrons relative to other elements) is 1.9. The thermal conductivity of rhenium is 47.9 W m-1 K-1.
Thermal Properties. The melting point and boiling point for rhenium are stated below. The following chart sets forth the heat of fusion, heat of vaporization and heat of atomization.
| Heat of Fusion |
33.1 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Vaporization |
704.25 kJ mol-1 |
| Heat of Atomization |
769 kJ mol-1 |
Recent Research & Development for Rhenium
- Rhenium complexes bearing phosphole-pyridine chelates: simple molecules with large chiroptical properties.
Takacs E, Escande A, Vanthuyne N, Roussel C, Lescop C, Guinard E, Latouche C, Boucekkine A, Crassous J, Réau R, Hissler M.
Chem Commun (Camb). 2012 May 24. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22627786
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- Aryl and NHC Compounds of Technetium and Rhenium.
Oehlke E, Kong S, Arciszewski P, Wiebalck S, Abram U.
J Am Chem Soc. 2012 May 21. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22594479
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- 111In-CHX-A"-Rhenium-cyclized-[Cys3,4,10,D-Phe7,Arg11]a-MSH3-13.
Leung K.
Molecular Imaging and Contrast Agent Database (MICAD) [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Center for Biotechnology Information (US); 2004-2011.
2009 Aug 20 [updated 2012 May 09].
PMID:
22593946
[PubMed]
Books & Documents
- cis-Dichlorido[2,3-dimethyl-3-(4,4,5,5-tetra-methyl-1,3,2?(5)-dioxaphospho-lan-2-yl-oxy)butan-2-olato-?(2)O,P]oxido(triphenyl-phosphane-?P)rhenium(V).
Skarzynska A, Siczek M, Gniewek A.
Acta Crystallogr Sect E Struct Rep Online. 2012 May 1;68(Pt 5):m605-6. Epub 2012 Apr 18.
PMID:
22590110
[PubMed - in process]
Free PMC Article
- Rhenium-Catalyzed Regio- and Stereoselective Addition of Imines to Terminal Alkynes Leading to N-Alkylideneallylamines.
Fukumoto Y, Daijo M, Chatani N.
J Am Chem Soc. 2012 May 17. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22574941
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- The prevalence of isocloso deltahedra in low-energy hypoelectronic metalladicarbaboranes with a single metal vertex: manganese and rhenium derivatives.
Lupan A, King RB.
Dalton Trans. 2012 May 4. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22555801
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- Photosensitization of nanoparticulate TiO(2) using a Re(i)-polypyridyl complex: studies on interfacial electron transfer in the ultrafast time domain.
Kar P, Banerjee T, Verma S, Sen A, Das A, Ganguly B, Ghosh HN.
Phys Chem Chem Phys. 2012 Jun 14;14(22):8192-8. Epub 2012 May 1.
PMID:
22549294
[PubMed - in process]
- Photochromic Metal Complexes: Photoregulation of both the Nonlinear Optical and Luminescent Properties.
Ordronneau L, Nitadori H, Ledoux I, Singh A, Williams JA, Akita M, Guerchais V, Le Bozec H.
Inorg Chem. 2012 May 21;51(10):5627-36. Epub 2012 Apr 30.
PMID:
22545780
[PubMed - in process]
- Synthesis, in vitro and in vivo characterization of novel (99m)Tc-'4+1'-labeled 5-nitroimidazole derivatives as potential agents for imaging hypoxia.
Giglio J, Fernández S, Pietzsch HJ, Dematteis S, Moreno M, Pacheco JP, Cerecetto H, Rey A.
Nucl Med Biol. 2012 Apr 23. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22534030
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- Electron Transfer Triggered by Optical Excitation of Phenothiazine-tris(meta-phenylene-ethynylene)-(tricarbonyl)(bpy)(py)rhenium(I).
Bingöl B, Durrell AC, Keller GE, Palmer JH, Grubbs RH, Gray HB.
J Phys Chem B. 2012 May 3. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22533820
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- Bone-targeting radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of prostate cancer with bone metastases.
Goyal J, Antonarakis ES.
Cancer Lett. 2012 Apr 17. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22521546
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- New (99m)Tc(CO)(3) Mannosylated Dextran Bearing S-Derivatized Cysteine Chelator for Sentinel Lymph Node Detection.
Pirmettis I, Arano Y, Tsotakos T, Okada K, Yamaguchi A, Uehara T, Morais M, Correia JD, Santos I, Martins M, Pereira S, Triantis C, Kyprianidou P, Pelecanou M, Papadopoulos M.
Mol Pharm. 2012 May 10. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22519912
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- (188)Re-SSS/Lipiodol: Development of a Potential Treatment for HCC from Bench to Bedside.
Lepareur N, Ardisson V, Noiret N, Garin E.
Int J Mol Imaging. 2012;2012:278306. Epub 2012 Feb 22.
PMID:
22518301
[PubMed - in process]
Free PMC Article
- Inside back cover: air-stable, highly fluorescent primary phosphanes (angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 20/2012).
Davies LH, Stewart B, Harrington RW, Clegg W, Higham LJ.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2012 May 14;51(20):5013. doi: 10.1002/anie.201202206. Epub 2012 Apr 4.
PMID:
22488803
[PubMed - in process]
- Development of highly efficient supramolecular CO2 reduction photocatalysts with high turnover frequency and durability.
Tamaki Y, Watanabe K, Koike K, Inoue H, Morimoto T, Ishitani O.
Faraday Discuss. 2012;155:115-27; discussion 207-22.
PMID:
22470970
[PubMed]
- Novel estradiol based metal complexes of Tc-99m.
Neto C, Oliveira MC, Gano L, Marques F, Thiemann T, Santos I.
J Inorg Biochem. 2012 Mar 13;111C:1-9. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID:
22469776
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
- Surface thermocouples for measurement of pulsed heat flux in the divertor of the Alcator C-Mod tokamak.
Brunner D, LaBombard B.
Rev Sci Instrum. 2012 Mar;83(3):033501.
PMID:
22462916
[PubMed - in process]
- Bifunctional rhenium complexes for the catalytic transfer-hydrogenation reactions of ketones and imines.
Landwehr A, Dudle B, Fox T, Blacque O, Berke H.
Chemistry. 2012 Apr 27;18(18):5701-14. doi: 10.1002/chem.201103685. Epub 2012 Mar 27.
PMID:
22454240
[PubMed - in process]
- Mass spectrometry of rhenium complexes: a comparative study by using LDI-MS, MALDI-MS, PESI-MS and ESI-MS.
Petroselli G, Mandal MK, Chen LC, Ruiz GT, Wolcan E, Hiraoka K, Nonami H, Erra-Balsells R.
J Mass Spectrom. 2012 Mar;47(3):313-21. doi: 10.1002/jms.2965.
PMID:
22431457
[PubMed - in process]
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