Xenon trioxide
Encyclopedia
Xenon trioxide is an unstable compound of xenon
in its +6 oxidation state
. It is a very powerful oxidizing agent
, and liberates oxygen from water slowly (and xenon), accelerated by exposure to sunlight. It is dangerously explosive upon contact with organic materials. When it detonates, it releases xenon and oxygen gas.
When it dissolves in water, an acidic solution of xenic acid
is formed:
This solution is stable at room temperature and lacks the explosive properties of xenon trioxide. It oxidises carboxylic acid
s quantitatively to carbon dioxide
and water.
Alternatively, it dissolves in alkaline solutions to form xenates. The HXeO anion is the predominant species in xenate solutions. These are not stable and begin to disproportionate
into perxenate
s (+8 oxidation state) and xenon and oxygen gas. Solid perxenates containing or have not yet been isolated; however, reacts with inorganic fluorides such as KF, RbF, or CsF to form stable solids of the form .
yields a solution from which colorless XeO3 crystals can be obtained by evaporation. The crystals are stable for days in dry air, but readily absorb water from humid air to form a concentrated solution. The crystal structure is orthorhombic with a = 6.163, b = 8.115, c = 5.234 Å and 4 molecules per unit cell. The density is 4.55 g/cm3.
Xenon
Xenon is a chemical element with the symbol Xe and atomic number 54. The element name is pronounced or . A colorless, heavy, odorless noble gas, xenon occurs in the Earth's atmosphere in trace amounts...
in its +6 oxidation state
Oxidation state
In chemistry, the oxidation state is an indicator of the degree of oxidation of an atom in a chemical compound. The formal oxidation state is the hypothetical charge that an atom would have if all bonds to atoms of different elements were 100% ionic. Oxidation states are typically represented by...
. It is a very powerful oxidizing agent
Oxidizing agent
An oxidizing agent can be defined as a substance that removes electrons from another reactant in a redox chemical reaction...
, and liberates oxygen from water slowly (and xenon), accelerated by exposure to sunlight. It is dangerously explosive upon contact with organic materials. When it detonates, it releases xenon and oxygen gas.
Chemistry
Xenon trioxide is a strong oxidizing agent and can oxidize most substances that are susceptible. However, it is slow-acting and this reduces its usefulness.When it dissolves in water, an acidic solution of xenic acid
Xenic acid
Xenic acid is a noble gas compound formed by the dissolution of xenon trioxide in water. Its chemical structure is H2XeO4. It is a very powerful oxidizing agent, and its decomposition is dangerous as it liberates a large amount of gaseous products—xenon, oxygen, and ozone.Its existence was...
is formed:
- XeO3 (aq) + H2O → H2XeO4 H+ + HXeO4−
This solution is stable at room temperature and lacks the explosive properties of xenon trioxide. It oxidises carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acid
Carboxylic acids are organic acids characterized by the presence of at least one carboxyl group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is R-COOH, where R is some monovalent functional group...
s quantitatively to carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
and water.
Alternatively, it dissolves in alkaline solutions to form xenates. The HXeO anion is the predominant species in xenate solutions. These are not stable and begin to disproportionate
Disproportionation
Disproportionation, also known as dismutation is used to describe a specific type of redox reaction in which a species is simultaneously reduced and oxidized so as to form two different products....
into perxenate
Perxenate
In chemistry, perxenates are salts of the yellow xenon-containing anion . This anion has octahedral molecular geometry, as determined by Raman spectroscopy, having O–Xe–O bond angles varying between 87° and 93°...
s (+8 oxidation state) and xenon and oxygen gas. Solid perxenates containing or have not yet been isolated; however, reacts with inorganic fluorides such as KF, RbF, or CsF to form stable solids of the form .
Physical properties
Hydrolysis of xenon tetrafluorideXenon tetrafluoride
Xenon tetrafluoride is a chemical compound with chemical formula . It was the first discovered binary compound of a noble gas. It is produced by the chemical reaction of xenon with fluorine, , according to the chemical equation:...
yields a solution from which colorless XeO3 crystals can be obtained by evaporation. The crystals are stable for days in dry air, but readily absorb water from humid air to form a concentrated solution. The crystal structure is orthorhombic with a = 6.163, b = 8.115, c = 5.234 Å and 4 molecules per unit cell. The density is 4.55 g/cm3.
Ball-and-stick model In chemistry, the ball-and-stick model is a molecular model of a chemical substance which is to display both the three-dimensional position of the atoms and the bonds between them... of part of the crystal structure of XeO3 |
Space-filling model In chemistry a space-filling model, also known as calotte model, is a type of three-dimensional molecular model where the atoms are represented by spheres whose radii are proportional to the radii of the atoms and whose center-to-center distances are proportional to the distances between the atomic... |