Question

Give a brief account of the chemistry of noble gases, with a special reference to the fluorides and oxyfluorides of xenon.

Answer 1

1. Noble gases were considered inert but form compounds mainly with fluorine and oxygen.
2. Xenon forms fluorides such as XeF₂, XeF₄, and XeF₆ by direct reaction with fluorine under controlled conditions.
3. Xenon fluorides are crystalline solids, stable when dry, and can hydrolyze in water releasing HF and O₂.
4. Xenon oxyfluorides include XeOF₂, XeOF₄, and XeO₂F₂, formed by reacting xenon fluorides with oxygen or fluorine oxides.
5. These compounds exhibit multiple oxidation states of xenon and unique molecular structures explained by VSEPR theory.
6. The chemistry of other noble gases is limited; only KrF₂ is well-studied; He, Ne, Ar do not form true compounds yet.