A high-temperature x-ray absorption spectroscopy study of

We present for the first time a high-temperature x-ray absorption spectroscopy study of at the edge. The analysis both of the XANES and of the EXAFS regions shows that, in , a progressive localization of the 5d states following the temperature rise is accompanied at T > 350 K by a distortion of the octahedra, which increases up to the decomposition temperature . The distortion leads to the lowering of the rhenium site symmetry from and is due to the electron - phonon coupling of the 5d electrons with the and phonons and to the Jahn - Teller effect caused by the rhenium electron which becomes localized at high temperature.