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Which xenon fluorides were prepared after Neil Bartlett’s discovery?

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Following Neil Bartlett’s 1962 discovery of the first noble-gas compound, three stable xenon fluorides were identified and prepared:

  • Xenon difluoride (XeF₂): A linear, symmetric molecule that is the easiest of the three to prepare.1
  • Xenon tetrafluoride (XeF₄): A square planar molecule.1
  • Xenon hexafluoride (XeF₆): A distorted octahedral molecule in the gas phase.1

Shortly after Bartlett’s initial report, two independent teams of chemists successfully prepared and reported XeF₂ and XeF₄. These compounds are stable, colorless, crystalline solids that can be sublimed under vacuum. While these are the primary stable fluorides, other short-lived monohalides such as XeF have also been produced in the gas phase for use in lasers.21