Xenon tetrachloride is an unstable inorganic compound with the chemical formula XeCl4. Unlike other noble gas/halide compounds, it cannot be synthesized by simply combining the elements, by using a more-active halogenating agent, or by substitution of other halides on tetrahaloxenon compounds. Instead, a decay technique can be used, starting with K129ICl4. The iodine-129 atom of the 129ICl–4 covalent cluster is radioactive and undergoes beta decay to become xenon-129. The resulting XeCl4 molecule has a square planar molecular geometry analogous to xenon tetrafluoride.
Alternately, the product can be obtained by subjecting the elements to an electric discharge.
References
Holleman, A.F.; Wiberg, E.; Wiberg, N.; Eagleson, M.; Brewer, W. (2001). Inorganic Chemistry. Academic Press. p. 394. ISBN 9780123526519. LCCN 2001091215. 9780123526519 ↩
Bell, C.F. (2013). Syntheses and Physical Studies of Inorganic Compounds. Elsevier Science. p. 143. ISBN 9781483280608. 9781483280608 ↩
Cockett, A.H.; Smith, K.C.; Bartlett, N. (2013). The Chemistry of the Monatomic Gases: Pergamon Texts in Inorganic Chemistry. Elsevier Science. p. 292. ISBN 9781483157368. 9781483157368 ↩
Perlow, G. J.; Perlow, M. R. (15 August 1964). "Mössbauer Effect Evidence for the Existence and Structure of XeCl4". The Journal of Chemical Physics. 41 (4): 1157–1158. Bibcode:1964JChPh..41.1157P. doi:10.1063/1.1726022. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩
Holleman, A.F.; Wiberg, E.; Wiberg, N.; Eagleson, M.; Brewer, W. (2001). Inorganic Chemistry. Academic Press. p. 394. ISBN 9780123526519. LCCN 2001091215. 9780123526519 ↩