Novel Rhenium Nitrides

We report the synthesis, structure, and properties of novel bulk rhenium nitrides, hexagonal Re2N, and Re3N. Both phases have very high bulk moduli of >400 GPa, similar to the most incompressible binary transition-metal (TM) carbides and nitrides found to date. However, in contrast to other incompressible TM carbides and nitrides, Re3N is better placed for potential technological applications, as it can be formed at relatively moderate pressures (13-16 GPa) and temperatures (1600-2400 K).