The discussion revolves around the reactivity of noble gases, specifically questioning the accuracy of the statement that "noble gases don't react chemically with other substances." Participants explore the conditions under which noble gases may form compounds and the implications of these reactions.
Participants generally agree that noble gases are mostly unreactive under normal conditions but disagree on the implications of this statement and the extent of their reactivity under specific conditions. Multiple competing views remain regarding the teaching of noble gas reactivity.
There are unresolved questions regarding the stability of noble gas compounds and the conditions necessary for their formation. The discussion reflects a range of assumptions about the definitions of reactivity and the context in which noble gases are considered.
Compounds like XeF2 are available commercially and are used as an etching agent in microelectronics. So I wouldn't regard noble gas compounds as a lab curiosity.symbolipoint said:Ordinarily correct. In extraordinary conditions, compounds can be made, maybe not very stable.
symbolipoint said:Ordinarily correct. In extraordinary conditions, compounds can be made, maybe not very stable.
DrDu said:Compounds like XeF2 are available commercially and are used as an etching agent in microelectronics. So I wouldn't regard noble gas compounds as a lab curiosity.
See what Dr.Du said.mech-eng said:If we limit the reaction with other substances, does this not mean that they react with each other, and which would be wrong?
Thank you.
I think that even compounds with Xe-Xe covalent bonds have been synthesised.mech-eng said:If we limit the reaction with other substances, does this not mean that they react with each other, and which would be wrong?
Thank you.
mech-eng said:I would like to ask about a question concerning noble gases. "Nobel gases don't react chemically with other substances."
I generally see it taught as "noble gases are inert under most conditions and only react in special circumstances," or some such qualification. But saying they're unreactive isn't a terrible approximation. Xenon's first ionization energy is comparable to that of O2, which means that oxidizing xenon is about as difficult as oxidizing oxygen. (In fact this was exactly how Neil Bartlett reasoned that xenon might be reactive--his experience with oxygenyl compounds of platinum hexafluoride. (sub-gripe: it's completely beyond me why he never won a Nobel Prize)).Vanadium 50 said:Why is this still being taught? It hasn't been true for 55 years. You can buy XeF2 out of a catalog - I just confirmed if I gave them my credit card number, I could have some on my desk by tomorrow. It's only about 3x as expensive as gold, by weight.