Density functional theory (DFT) was employed to calculate the bonding feature, electron spectrum, and redox properties of a dumbbell-shaped polyoxometalate (POM) cluster, [Re III 2 (PW 11 O 39 ) 2 ] 8À . Our DFT calculations confirm that the quadruple bond interaction between two Re III centers consists of , 2, and orbital overlaps, and the strength of the bonding interactions is in the order -bond 4 -bond4-bond. Time-dependent (TD) DFT calculations suggest that this cluster possesses one strong and four weak absorption bands between 0.7 and 2.5 eV. Excited state calculations show that the Re-Re bond length increases when one electron of the Re-Re bonding orbital is shifted to the Re-Re * antibonding orbital. Molecular orbital predictions and spin unrestricted calculations indicate that the two Re atoms form the reduced center. The Re-Re bond length increases in one-and two-electron reduction processes because the Re-Re * antibonding orbital becomes occupied. However, these changes in the Re-Re bond length in excitation and reduction processes are not substantial because of the weak bond. The substitution effect of the central tetrahedron heteroatom of the POM ligand affects the Re-Re bond length, with the Re-Re distance decreasing with the substitution of X from Al to S, Al (2.345 Å ) 4 Si (2.310 Å ) 4 P (2.282 Å ) 4 S (2.257 Å ).