:Xenon trioxide

Synthesis of xenon trioxide is by aqueous hydrolysis of {{chem|XeF|6|link=Xenon hexafluoride}}:

:{{chem|XeF|6}} + 3 {{chem|H|2|O}} → {{chem|XeO|3}} + 6 HF

The resulting xenon trioxide crystals are a strong oxidising agent and can oxidise most substances that are at all oxidisable. However, it is slow-acting and this reduces its usefulness.{{cite book | title = Chemistry of the Elements | author1 = Greenwood, N. | author2 = Earnshaw, A. | publisher = Butterworth-Heinemann | year = 1997 | location = Oxford }}

Above 25 °C, xenon trioxide is very prone to violent explosion:

:2 XeO₃ → 2 Xe + 3 O₂ {{pad|5em}}(ΔH_f = −403 kJ/mol)

When it dissolves in water, an acidic solution of xenic acid is formed:

:XeO₃(aq) + H₂O → H₂XeO₄ {{eqm}} H⁺ + {{chem|HXeO|4|-}}

This solution is stable at room temperature and lacks the explosive properties of xenon trioxide. It oxidises carboxylic acids quantitatively to carbon dioxide and water.{{cite journal | journal = Talanta |date=July 1966 | volume = 13 | issue = 7 | pages = 945–949 | title = Titrimetric determination of some organic acids by xenon trioxide oxidation | author1 = Jaselskis B. | author2 = Krueger R. H. | pmid = 18959958 | doi = 10.1016/0039-9140(66)80192-3 }}

Alternatively, 15-crown-5 coordinates to xenon trioxide to give a complex stable at room-temperature against mechanical shock.{{cite journal|doi=10.1002/anie.201806640|journal=Angewandte Chemie|title=A stable crown ether complex with a noble-gas compound|first1=Katherine Mary|last1=Marczenko|first2=Hélène Paule Anne|last2=Mercier|first3=Gary J.|last3=Schrobilgen|publisher=Wiley-VCH}}

Alternatively, it dissolves in alkaline solutions to form xenates. The {{chem|HXeO|4|-}} anion is the predominant species in xenate solutions.{{Cite journal| last1 = Peterson | first1 = J. L.| last2 = Claassen | first2 = H. H.| last3 = Appelman | first3 = E. H.| title = Vibrational spectra and structures of xenate(VI) and perxenate(VIII) ions in aqueous solution| journal = Inorganic Chemistry | volume = 9| issue = 3| pages = 619–621 | date=March 1970 | doi = 10.1021/ic50085a037}} These are not stable and begin to disproportionate into perxenates (+8 oxidation state) and xenon and oxygen gas.{{cite book

| title = Main group chemistry

| url = https://archive.org/details/maingroupchemist00hend_891

| url-access = limited

| author = W. Henderson

| location = Great Britain

| publisher = Royal Society of Chemistry

| year = 2000

| isbn = 0-85404-617-8

| pages = [https://archive.org/details/maingroupchemist00hend_891/page/n161 152]–153

}} Solid perxenates containing {{chem|XeO|6|4-}} have been isolated by reacting {{chem|XeO|3|}} with an aqueous solution of hydroxides. Xenon trioxide reacts with inorganic fluorides such as KF, RbF, or CsF to form stable solids of the form {{chem|MXeO|3|F}}.{{cite book

| title = Inorganic chemistry

| author1 = Egon Wiberg

| author2 = Nils Wiberg

| author3 = Arnold Frederick Holleman

| publisher = Academic Press

| year = 2001

| isbn = 0-12-352651-5

| page = 399

}}

Hydrolysis of xenon hexafluoride or xenon tetrafluoride yields a solution from which colorless XeO₃ crystals can be obtained by evaporation.{{cite book | series = Advances in Inorganic Chemistry, Volume 46 | title = Recent Advances in Noble-gas Chemistry | author1 = John H. Holloway | author2 = Eric G. Hope | editor = A. G. Sykes | publisher = Academic Press | year = 1998 | isbn = 0-12-023646-X | page = 65 }} The crystals are stable for days in dry air, but readily absorb water from humid air to form a concentrated solution. The crystal structure is orthorhombic with a = 6.163 Å, b = 8.115 Å, c = 5.234 Å, and 4 molecules per unit cell. The density is 4.55 g/cm³.{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1021/ja00889a037 | year = 1963 | last1 = Templeton | first1 = D. H. | title = Crystal and Molecular Structure of Xenon Trioxide | last2 = Zalkin | first2 = A. | last3 = Forrester | first3 = J. D. | last4 = Williamson | first4 = S. M. | journal = Journal of the American Chemical Society | volume = 85 | issue = 6| pages = 817 | url = https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4d31b0pf | url-access = subscription }}

XeO₃ should be handled with great caution. Samples have detonated when undisturbed at room temperature. Dry crystals react explosively with cellulose.{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1126/science.139.3554.506 | title = Xenon Hydroxide: an Experimental Hazard | year = 1963 | last1 = Bartlett | first1 = N. | last2 = Rao | first2 = P. R. | journal = Science | volume = 139 | issue = 3554| pages = 506 | pmid = 17843880|bibcode = 1963Sci...139..506B }}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.webelements.com/webelements/compounds/text/Xe/O3Xe1-13776584.html Webelements periodic table: page on Xenon(VI) oxide]

{{Xenon compounds}}

{{Noble gas compounds}}

{{Oxides}}

Category:Oxides

Category:Xenon(VI) compounds

Category:Inorganic compounds