Xenon(II) Fluoride, how did that make it?

[RyanJ]

Hi everyone,

 

Xenon(II) Fluoride [math]XeF_2[/math], how did that make it?

 

At GCSE level we were taught that any atom of a group 0 element is stable, it has a full outer election shell. I guessed they would cdut things out to make things more simple but at AS we were taught that some elements E.G. Sulphur could expand their octlet (Speeling is probably wrong).

 

Is it the same principal for doing this with a noble glass? Also can you give me any information on the reactions such as preassure required, catalyst required etc.

 

Are there any elements that have no known compounds at this point in time?

 

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[jdurg]

Time to edit my post due to horrific grammar.

 

In the early 1960's, scientists were doing a lot of experimentation with fluorine and fluorine compounds. One of these compounds was PtF6 which is a VERY potent oxidizer. In their experiments, scientists were able to create the salt O2(+)[PtF6](-). This was a very strong fluorinating agent with oxygen in a positive oxidation state. They took the O2 molecule and pulled an electron away from it to give it a +1 charge. So they knew that PtF6 was an INCREDIBLY strong oxidizing agent. Once they discovered that they could put O2 into a positive oxidation state, they also realized that the first ionization energy of oxygen was pretty much the exact same as that of Xenon; a noble gas. Their theory was that if PtF6 could oxidize oxygen, then it should be able to oxidize Xenon as well since their electronegativities are the pretty much the same. So in the fall of 1962 scientists put together a mixture of PtF6 and Xenon gas and found that XePtF6 had formed. Later on, they discovered that elemental fluorine and xenon would react with each other upon exposure to light and XeF4/XeF6 would be formed if the gases were under pressure.

[RyanJ]

Thanks for the information jdurg, very useful

 

Can that be done with all the other group 0 elements also?

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[insane_alien]

pretty much all except helium

[RyanJ]

pretty much all except helium

 

 

Hmm, thats interesting why can it not de done with Helium in that case? Is it because it is the only group 0 element with 2 elections in its outer shell and not 8?

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[woelen]

Hmm' date=' thats interesting why can it not de done with Helium in that case? Is it because it is the only group 0 element with 2 elections in its outer shell and not 8?

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones[/quote']

Things are a little bit more subtle. When going up in the column of noble gases, the formation of bonds becomes more and more difficult. With xenon it is possible to make some stable (although very reactive) compounds at room temperature, with krypton this only is possible at very low temperatures and with argon I doubt whether any compounds are made. If so, then maybe at trace levels in an ultracold inert matrix. With neon and helium no compounds can be formed. This has to do with the increasing difficultly to remove electrons from these gases (for the lighter gases the electrons are closer to the nucleus and more energy is needed to remove them).

[RyanJ]

Hmm, I see.

 

Thanks for the information woelen

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[insane_alien]

whoops forgot about neon

[akcapr]

I thought He compounds were possible. Actually they are but not due to a potent oxidizer but due to electron bombardment. They've made it in He2+ and He+2. Compounds such as HgHe.