A Renaissance in Noble-Gas Chemistry
Abstract
In spite of the predictions of stable noble-gas compounds since at least 1902, unsuccessful attempts at their synthesis gave rise to the widely held opinion that noble-gases are not only noble but also inert . Thus, dogma-like statements to this effect could be found in practically every chemistry textbook and discouraged or a long time, experimentalists to work in this area. It was not until 1962 that this dogma was shattered when Bartlett in Canada and Hoppe in Germany independently discovered with XePtF6 and XeF2, respectively, the first stable noble-gas compounds. These discoveries triggered an explosion of worldwide frenzy in this area and within a short span of time many new xenon, radon and krypton compounds were prepared and characterized. About 30 years and many publications later, new results in this area had slowed down to a trickle and in the minds of most chemists the chapter on noble-gas chemistry had been completed. A recent burst of startling discoveries, however, shows that noble-gas chemistry is still full of surprises and may signal the beginning of a renaissance in this field.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 12, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA410904
Entities
People
- Karl O. Christe
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory