The pentafluorophenylxenon(II) cation: [C6F5Xe]+; the first stable system with a xenon–carbon bond

Abstract

Pentafluorophenylxenon(II) pentafluorophenyltrifluoroborate, [C₆F₅Xe]⁺[C₆F₅BF₃]^–, can be prepared analogously to pentafluorophenylhalogen(III) and (V) fluorides, C₆F₅HalF₂ and C₆F₅HalF₄(with Hal = Br or I), by nucleophilic displacement of fluorine in XeF₂ using B(C₆F₅)₃ as an aryl-transfer reagent; the resulting colourless solid with a stable xenon–carbon bond is characterised in solution by ¹²⁹Xe and ¹⁹F n.m.r. and chemically as an electrophilic transfer reagent for pentafluorophenyl groups.