Question

When and how did the chemistry of noble gases begin?

Answer 1

1. Before 1962, noble gases were considered inert and did not form true chemical compounds. Only weakly bound clathrate compounds of Ar, Kr, and Xe were known, where noble gases were physically trapped without chemical bonding.
2. The chemistry of noble gases began in 1962 with Neil Bartlett’s discovery. He found that PtF₆ reacts with xenon at room temperature to form the first noble gas compound, XePtF₆, proving noble gases could participate in chemical reactions.
3. This discovery opened the way for many compounds of xenon with fluorine and oxygen to be prepared and studied.

Thus, the real chemistry of noble gases started in 1962 with Neil Bartlett’s synthesis of XePtF₆.