Xenon Compounds - Applications

Applications

Most applications of noble gas compounds are either as oxidising agents or as a means to store noble gases in a dense form. Xenic acid is a valuable oxidising agent because it has no potential for introducing impurities: the xenon is simply liberated as a gas. It is rivalled only by ozone in this respect. The perxenates are even more powerful oxidising agents, and the xenon fluorides are good fluorinating agents. Stable salts of xenon containing very high proportions of fluorine by weight such as tetrafluoroammonium heptafluoroxenate (NF4XeF7), and the related tetrafluoroammonium octafluoroxenate ((NF4)2XeF8), have been developed as highly energetic oxidisers for use as propellants in rocketry.

Xenon-based compounds have also been used for synthesizing carbocations stable at room temperature in SO2ClF solution.

Radioactive isotopes of krypton and xenon are difficult to store and dispose, and compounds of these elements may be more easily handled than the gaseous forms.

Read more about this topic:  Xenon Compounds