A small neutral molecule with two noble-gas atoms: HXeOXeH

Area of Science:

• Noble gas chemistry
• Spectroscopy
• Quantum chemistry

Background:

• Noble gas compounds are rare and challenging to synthesize.
• Understanding the behavior of noble gases is crucial for various scientific fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize a novel noble-gas compound.
• To explore the potential applications of noble gas compounds.

Main Methods:

• Infrared (IR) spectroscopy was used for identification.
• UV photolysis of water in solid xenon followed by annealing.
• Extensive quantum chemical calculations supported experimental findings.

Main Results:

• A new neutral molecule, HXeOXeH, containing two noble-gas atoms, was successfully identified.
• HXeOXeH is the smallest known neutral molecule with two noble-gas atoms.
• Computational analysis predicted a significant energy release of 8.3 eV upon decomposition.

Conclusions:

• The discovery of HXeOXeH represents a significant advancement in noble gas chemistry.
• This molecule could be a precursor for synthesizing xenon-oxygen chains.
• The findings may offer insights into the terrestrial "missing xenon" problem.