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
+
111mXe
0.9 s
EC, +
111Xe
110.9416
EC, +;
112Xe
111.9357
3 s
EC, +;
113Xe
112.9334
2.8 s
EC; +
114Xe
113.9281
10.0 s
+, EC
0+
115Xe
114.9270
18 s
+, EC
(5/2+)
116Xe
115.9214
56 s
+, EC
0+
117Xe
116.9206
1.02 m
+, EC
(5/2+)
118Xe
117.917
4 m
+, EC
0+
119Xe
118.9156
5.8 m
+, EC
7/2+
120Xe
119.91216
40 m
+, EC; +
0+
121Xe
120.91138
39 m
+; EC
5/2+
122Xe
121.9086
20.1 h
EC
0+
123Xe
122.90848
2.00 h
+; 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
-
3/2+
134Xe
10.4(2)
133.905395
Stable
0+
135mXe
15.3 m
IT
11/2-
135Xe
134.90721
9.10 h
-
3/2+
136Xe
8.9(1)
135.90722
Stable
0+
137Xe
136.91156
3.82 m
-
7/2-
138Xe
137.91399
14.1 m
-
0+
139Xe
138.91879
39.7 s
-
140Xe
139.9216
13.6 s
-
0+
141Xe
140.9267
1.72 s
-
5/2+
142Xe
141.9297
1.22 s
-
0+
143mXe
0.96 s
-
143mXe
142.9352
0.30 s
-
144Xe
143.9385
1.2 s
-
145Xe
0.9 s
-, 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.
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