Important Compounds of Xenon - Practice Questions & MCQ

Xenon-fluorine compounds
Xenon forms three binary fluorides, XeF₂, XeF₄ and XeF₆ by the direct reaction of elements under appropriate experimental conditions.

XeF₆ can also be prepared by the interaction of XeF₄ and O₂F₂ at 143K.

XeF₂, XeF₄ and XeF₆ are colourless crystalline solids and sublime readily at 298 K. They are powerful fluorinating agents. They are readily hydrolysed even by traces of water. For example, XeF₂ is hydrolysed to give Xe, HF and O₂.

The structures of the three xenon fluorides can be deduced from VSEPR. XeF₂ and XeF₄ have linear and square planar structures respectively. XeF₆ has seven electron pairs (6 bonding pairs and one lone pair) and would, thus, have a distorted octahedral structure as found experimentally in the gas phase.

Xenon-oxygen compounds
Hydrolysis of XeF₄ and XeF₆ with water gives XeO₃.

Partial hydrolysis of XeF₆ gives oxyfluorides, XeOF₄ and XeO₂F₂.

XeO₃ is a colourless explosive solid and has a pyramidal molecular structure. XeOF₄ is a colourless volatile liquid and has a square pyramidal molecular structure.