In 1962 Neil Bartlett demonstrated the first reaction of a noble gas. The noble gas family of elements - helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon - had previously been regarded as inert. By combining xenon with a platinum fluoride, Bartlett created the first noble gas compound. This reaction began the field of noble gas chemistry, which became fundamental to the scientific understanding of the chemical bond. Noble gas compounds have helped create anti-tumor agents and have been used in lasers.
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Image courtesy University of British Columbia Library.
Neil Bartlett and the Reactive Noble Gases
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Dept of Chemistry
Univ of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Dept of Chemistry
