Xenon tetroxide

{{Short description|Noble gas compound}}{{chembox

| Verifiedfields = changed

| Watchedfields = changed

| verifiedrevid = 470633520

| Name = Xenon tetroxide

| ImageFileL1 = Xenon-tetroxide-2D.png

| ImageClassL1 = skin-invert-image

| ImageNameL1 = Xenon tetroxide

| ImageFileR1 = Xenon-tetroxide-3D-vdW.png

| ImageClassR1 = bg-transparent

| ImageNameR1 = Space-filling model of the xenon tetroxide molecule

| IUPACName = Xenon tetraoxide
Xenon(VIII) oxide

| OtherNames = Xenon tetroxide
Perxenic anhydride

| Section1 = {{Chembox Identifiers

| CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}

| CASNo = 12340-14-6

| ChemSpiderID_Ref = {{chemspidercite|correct|chemspider}}

| ChemSpiderID = 21106492

| InChI = 1/O4Xe/c1-5(2,3)4

| InChIKey = VHWKDFQUJRCZDZ-UHFFFAOYAS

| SMILES = O=[Xe](=O)(=O)=O

| StdInChI_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}

| StdInChI = 1S/O4Xe/c1-5(2,3)4

| StdInChIKey_Ref = {{stdinchicite|correct|chemspider}}

| StdInChIKey = VHWKDFQUJRCZDZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N

}}

| Section2 = {{Chembox Properties

| Formula = XeO₄

| MolarMass = 195.29 g mol⁻¹

| Appearance = Yellow solid below −36 °C

| Solubility = reacts

| MeltingPtC = −35.9

| MeltingPt_notes =

| BoilingPtC = 0

| BoilingPt_ref =

{{Cite book

| last = Lide

| first = David R.

| year = 1998

| title = Handbook of Chemistry and Physics

| edition = 87

| location = Boca Raton, Florida

| publisher = CRC Press

| isbn = 0-8493-0594-2

| pages = 494

}}

| pKa =

}}

| Section3 = {{Chembox Structure

| MolShape = Tetrahedral{{cite journal |author1=G. Gundersen |author2=K. Hedberg |author3=J. L.Huston | title=Molecular Structure of Xenon Tetroxide, XeO₄ | journal=J. Chem. Phys.| year= 1970 | volume=52 | pages=812–815| doi=10.1063/1.1673060 | issue= 2 |bibcode=1970JChPh..52..812G }}

| Dipole = 0 D

}}

| Section4 = {{Chembox Thermochemistry

| DeltaHf = +153.5 kcal mol⁻¹ {{Cite journal| first1 = S. R. | title = The Heat of Formation of Xenon Tetroxide| journal = Journal of the American Chemical Society | volume = 87| last1 = Gunn | issue = 10| pages = 2290–2291 | date=May 1965 | doi = 10.1021/ja01088a038}}

| Entropy =

}}

| Section7 = {{Chembox Hazards

| MainHazards = powerful explosive

}}

| Section8 = {{Chembox Related

| OtherCompounds = Perxenic acid
Xenon trioxide

}}

}}

Xenon tetroxide is a chemical compound of xenon and oxygen with molecular formula XeO₄, remarkable for being a relatively stable compound of a noble gas. It is a yellow crystalline solid that is stable below −35.9 °C; above that temperature it is very prone to exploding and decomposing into elemental xenon and oxygen (O₂).

{{cite journal | author= H.Selig, J. G. Malm, H. H. Claassen, C. L. Chernick, J. L. Huston | title= Xenon tetroxide – Preparation & Some Properties | journal=Science| year=1964 | volume=143 | pages=1322–3| doi= 10.1126/science.143.3612.1322 | pmid= 17799234 | issue= 3612 | jstor=1713238| bibcode= 1964Sci...143.1322S | s2cid= 29205117 }}

{{cite journal |author1=J. L. Huston |author2=M. H. Studier |author3=E. N. Sloth | title= Xenon tetroxide — Mass Spectrum | journal=Science| year=1964 | volume=143 | pages=1162–3 | doi= 10.1126/science.143.3611.1161-a | pmid= 17833897 | issue= 3611 | jstor=1712675|bibcode=1964Sci...143.1161H |s2cid=28547895 }}

All eight valence electrons of xenon are involved in the bonds with the oxygen, and the oxidation state of the xenon atom is +8. Oxygen is the only element that can bring xenon up to its highest oxidation state; even fluorine can only give XeF₆ (+6).

Two other short-lived xenon compounds with an oxidation state of +8, XeO₃F₂ and XeO₂F₄, are accessible by the reaction of xenon tetroxide with xenon hexafluoride. XeO₃F₂ and XeO₂F₄ can be detected with mass spectrometry. The perxenates are also compounds where xenon has the +8 oxidation state.

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