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Noble Gas (Group 18) Trends

  • Page ID
    68244
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    1. All elements exist in the atomic form and are highly stable.
    2. Xe can form a few complexes due to it’s modest electronegativity (2.6)
    3. The large size of Xe provides coordinative unsaturation to form coordination numbers up to 8, [XeF8]2-.
    4. Kinetic inertness seen in C, N, O, F, P, S, Se, Cl, Br, I is now seen in Xe and Kr so that Xe oxidation states range from 0, [Xe], to +VIII, [Kr].
    5. Alternating oxidation states remain stable as in the halogens.
    6. Stereochemcially active lone pair in every oxidation state except VIII.
    7. Similar to N, the highest oxidation state (VIII) is only accessible is p bonding occurs to decrease the electron density on Xe.
    8. Xenon oxides are acidic, xenon hydrides are non-existent, and only xenon fluorides can be used to form other xenon halogen complexes.

    Noble Gas (Group 18) Trends is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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