Xenon tetrafluoride is a chemical compound with chemical formula XeF4. It was the first discovered binary compound of a noble gas. It is produced by the chemical reaction of xenon with fluorine, F2, according to the chemical equation:
- Xe + 2 F2 → XeF4
This reaction is exothermic, releasing an energy of 251 kJ/mol of xenon.
Xenon tetrafluoride is a colorless crystalline substance under ordinary conditions. Its crystalline structure was determined by both NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography in 1963. The structure is square planar, as has been confirmed by neutron diffraction studies, and is justified by VSEPR theory because xenon has two lone pairs of electrons above and below the plane of the molecule.
Xenon tetrafluoride sublimes at a temperature of 115.7 °C (240.26 °F).
The formation of xenon tetrafluoride, like the other xenon fluorides, is exergonic. They are stable at normal temperatures and pressures. All of them readily react with water, releasing pure xenon gas, hydrogen fluoride, and molecular oxygen. This reaction occurs in slightly moist air; hence, all xenon fluorides must be kept in anhydrous atmospheres.
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