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Xenon - Xe

CAS: 7440-63-3
Description: Colorless, odorless, tasteless gas
Classification: Noble Gas
Date of Discovery: 1898
Discoverer: Sir William Ramsay
Name Origin: Greek xenon, "stranger"

Atomic Number: 54
Number of Neutrons: 77
Atomic Mass: 131.29(2) amu
Melting Point: -111.75 °C
Boiling Point: -108.0 °C
Density (293 K): 5.887 ± 0.009 g/cm3
liquid - 3.52 g/cm3 (-109 °C)
Atomic volume: 37.3 cm3/mol
Electrical resistivity:
Thermal conductivity: 5.69 x 10-5W/cmK
Enthalpy of atomization:
Enthalpy of vaporization: 12.636 kJ/mol
Enthalpy of fusion: 2.297 kJ/mol
Specific heat capacity: 0.158 J/gK
Energy levels: 2-8-18-18-8
Electron configuration: [Kr]4d105s25p6
Crystal Structure: Cubic face centered
Atomic radius: 1.24 Å
Covalent radius: 1.31 Å
Oxidation States: usually 0
Electronegativity, Pauling:
Electron affinity: not stable
First ionization energy: 12.130 eV
2nd ionization energy: 21.21 eV
3rd ionization energy: 32.10 eV
Polarizability: 4.044 10-24cm3
Isotope Natural Abundance Atomic Mass Half-life Decay Mode Spin
110Xe 109.9445 0.2 s Beta Symbol+
111mXe 0.9 s EC, Beta Symbol+
111Xe 110.9416 EC, Beta Symbol+; alpha symbol
112Xe 111.9357 3 s EC, Beta Symbol+; alpha symbol
113Xe 112.9334 2.8 s EC; Beta Symbol+
114Xe 113.9281 10.0 s Beta Symbol+, EC 0+
115Xe 114.9270 18 s Beta Symbol+, EC (5/2+)
116Xe 115.9214 56 s Beta Symbol+, EC 0+
117Xe 116.9206 1.02 m Beta Symbol+, EC (5/2+)
118Xe 117.917 Alpha Symbol4 m Beta Symbol+, EC 0+
119Xe 118.9156 5.8 m Beta Symbol+, EC 7/2+
120Xe 119.91216 40 m Beta Symbol+, EC; Beta Symbol+ 0+
121Xe 120.91138 39 m Beta Symbol+; EC 5/2+
122Xe 121.9086 20.1 h EC 0+
123Xe 122.90848 2.00 h Beta Symbol+; EC 1/2+
124Xe 0.10(1) 123.905895 Stable
125mXe 57 s IT (9/2-)
125Xe 124.906398 17.1 h EC 1/2+
126Xe 0.09(1) 125.90427 Stable 0+
127mXe 1.15 m IT (9/2-)
127Xe 126.905179 36.4 d EC 1/2+
128Xe 1.91(3) 127.903531 Stable 0+
129mXe 8.89 d IT 11/2-
129Xe 26.4(6) 128.904780 Stable 1/2+
130Xe 4.1(1) 129.903509 Stable 0+
131mXe 11.9 d IT 11/2-
131Xe 21.2(4) 130.905083 Stable 3/2+
132Xe 26.9(5) 131.904155 Stable 0+
133mXe 2.19 d IT 11/2-
133Xe 132.905906 5.243 d Beta Symbol- 3/2+
134Xe 10.4(2) 133.905395 Stable 0+
135mXe 15.3 m IT 11/2-
135Xe 134.90721 9.10 h Beta Symbol- 3/2+
136Xe 8.9(1) 135.90722 Stable 0+
137Xe 136.91156 3.82 m Beta Symbol- 7/2-
138Xe 137.91399 14.1 m Beta Symbol- 0+
139Xe 138.91879 39.7 s Beta Symbol-
140Xe 139.9216 13.6 s Beta Symbol- 0+
141Xe 140.9267 1.72 s Beta Symbol- 5/2+
142Xe 141.9297 1.22 s Beta Symbol- 0+
143mXe 0.96 s Beta Symbol-
143mXe 142.9352 0.30 s Beta Symbol-
144Xe 143.9385 1.2 s Beta Symbol-
145Xe 0.9 s Beta Symbol-, n
Discovered by Ramsay and Travers in 1898 in the residue left after evaporating liquid air components. Xenon is a member of the so-called noble or "inert" gases. It is present in the atmosphere to the extent of about one part in twenty million. Xenon is present in the Martian atmosphere to the extent of 0.08 ppm. The element is found in the gases evolved from certain mineral springs, and is commercially obtained by extraction from liquid air. Natural xenon is composed of nine stable isotopes. In addition to these, thirty-five unstable isotopes and isomers have been characterized. Before 1962, it had generally been assumed that xenon and other noble gases were unable to form compounds. Evidence has been mounting in the past few years that xenon, as well as other members of the zero valence elements, do form compounds. Among the "compounds" of xenon now reported are xenon hydrate, sodium perxenate, xenon deuterate, difluoride, tetrafluoride, hexafluoride, and XePtF6 and XeRhF6. Xenon trioxide, which is highly explosive, has been prepared. More than 80 xenon compounds have been made with xenon chemically bonded to fluorine and oxygen. Some xenon compounds are colored. Metallic xenon has been produced, using several hundred kilobars of pressure. Xenon in a vacuum tube produces a beautiful blue glow when excited by an electrical discharge. The gas is used in making electron tubes, stroboscopic lamps, bactericidal lamps, and lamps used to excite ruby lasers for generating coherent light. Xenon is used in the atomic energy field in bubble chambers, probes, and other applications where its high molecular weight is of value. The perxenates are used in analytical chemistry as oxidizing agents. 133Xe and 135Xe are produced by neutron irradiation in air cooled nuclear reactors. 133Xe has useful applications as a radioisotope. Xenon is not toxic, but its compounds are highly toxic because of their strong oxidizing characteristics. Xenon produces inhalation anesthesia similar to Nitrus Oxide, however there is not enough xenon in the earth's atmosphere to be used for this purpose.
LINKS:

Gas Phase MRI using Xenon
Xenon as a Heavy Atom?
Xenon - An Introduction to Neutron Poisons
Xenon head-lights
Xenon Ion Propulsion

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Sources for the information on this website include:
Lide, David R., ed. CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 78th Ed., 1997-1998.