Rhenium plays starring role in bond movie

The previously unseen phenomenon of bonds between pairs of rhenium metal atoms breaking and reforming has been videoed in real-time. The researchers used a transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technique developed by Ute Kaiser’s team at Ulm University, Germany, both to provide energy that drives bonding changes and image those changes. These bond movies feature long chase scenes, with the rhenium atoms following each other, usually bound together by quadruple bonds. However, when pushed by the microscope, the bond order can decrease in steps apparently equating to triple, double and single bonds, with the atoms ultimately separating.