Xenon cation

The generation of main-group cations by use of xenon cations as oxidants has been limited to salts of the XeF+ 49,56 and C6F5Xe+ 58 cations and has focused on the oxidation of the central element rather than on the oxidation of a ligand. 

Alternatively, one can view this as an acid-base (instead of a retiox) reaction of a basic xenon atom undergoing a nucleophilic attack on an acidic xenon cation to form the diatomic cation (cf. die reaction of Xe + CHj, page 827). 

The ionic nature of these species was deduced from the very beginning on the basis of the identification of the anionic counter ion, [BFJ ", in the complex XeF6 BF3 116), but the first characterization of the [XeF5]+ cation itself was only attempted later 170). The full characterization of [Xe2Fn]+ was even more recent120). The two hexavalent xenon cations are related in much the same way as [XeF]+ and [Xe2F3] + in xenon(H) complexes i.e. the simpler cations are joined by a fluorine bridge. 

The [XeOTeFj+ cation undergoes some interesting reactions during the course of which several, as yet not fully characterized, xenon cations are formed 149). 

Similarly, the Xe-C bond distance in the pentafiuorophenyl xenon cation, [FsCeXe]" ", is 208 pm [9] as compared to a I-C bond distance of 213 pm in ICH3. 

Stephenson, J. L., Jr. McLuckey, S. A. Charge reduction of oligonucleotide anions via gas-phase electron transfer to xenon cations. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom 1997, 77(8), 875-880. 

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