Xenon
[CAS# 7440-63-3]

Identification

• Classification: API >> Special medicine >> Radioisotope
• Name: Xenon
• Synonyms: Xenon atom
• Molecular Formula: Xe
• Molecular Weight: 131.29
• CAS Registry Number: 7440-63-3
• EC Number: 231-172-7
• SMILES: [Xe]

Properties

• Density: 3.56 g/mL (Expl.)
• Melting point: -111.8 $degree$C (Expl.)
• Boiling point: -107.1$+/-$9.0 $degree$C 760 mmHg (Calc.)^*, -107.1 $degree$C (Expl.)

^* Calculated using Advanced Chemistry Development (ACD/Labs) Software.

Safety Data

• Hazard Symbols: GHS04 Warning
• Risk Statements: H280-H281
• Safety Statements: P282-P336+P317-P403-P410+P403

Hazard Classification

Hazard	Class	Category Code	Hazard Statement
Gases under pressure (compressed)	Press. Gas (Comp.)		H280
Gases under pressure (liquid)	Press. Gas (Liq.)		H281
Gases under pressure (liquid)	Press. Gas (Liq.)		H280

• Transport Information: UN 2036 2.2

Discovery and Applications

Xenon is a chemical element with the symbol Xe and atomic number 54. It is a colorless, dense, odorless, and chemically inert noble gas, belonging to Group 18 of the periodic table. Xenon occurs naturally in trace amounts in the Earth's atmosphere at approximately 0.087 parts per million by volume. It was discovered in 1898 by the chemists William Ramsay and Morris Travers during the study of liquid air fractions.

Xenon’s chemical inertness results from its complete valence electron shell, which makes it highly stable under normal conditions. Despite being largely unreactive, xenon can form compounds under specific conditions, particularly with highly electronegative elements such as fluorine and oxygen. Notable xenon compounds include xenon hexafluoride (XeF₆), xenon tetrafluoride (XeF₄), and xenon trioxide (XeO₃), which are of interest in inorganic chemistry and high-energy applications.

One of the primary uses of xenon is in lighting and imaging technologies. Xenon gas is employed in high-intensity discharge lamps, such as xenon arc lamps, which produce bright white light used in projection systems, searchlights, and automotive headlights. It is also used in flash lamps for photography and in excimer lasers, which are used in microlithography, eye surgery, and other precision laser applications.

In medicine, xenon is used as an anesthetic gas due to its low toxicity and rapid onset of action. Its anesthetic properties allow it to provide sedation and analgesia while being minimally metabolized in the body. Additionally, xenon isotopes have applications in nuclear medicine, including imaging and diagnostic procedures, where radioactive xenon can serve as a tracer to study blood flow and respiratory function.

Xenon also finds applications in aerospace and scientific research. It is used as a propellant in ion thrusters for spacecraft due to its high atomic mass and inert nature, which allow for efficient acceleration and thrust in vacuum conditions. In laboratory research, xenon serves as a protective gas in experiments requiring inert atmospheres and is used in studies of high-pressure chemistry and noble gas compounds.

Overall, xenon is a rare and chemically inert noble gas with a wide range of applications in lighting, laser technology, medicine, and space propulsion. Its ability to form compounds under specialized conditions, combined with its physical stability, makes it both a valuable industrial material and a subject of ongoing chemical research.

References

2025. Noncovalent guest-host interactions unlock the potential of MOFs for anesthetic xenon recovery: GCMC and DFT insights into real anesthetic conditions. Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2025.109015

2025. The binding sites of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and xenon reveal a putative exhaust channel for bovine cytochrome c oxidase. The Journal of biological chemistry.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2025.110395

2025. The Effect of Xenon on the Voltage‒Current Characteristics of Tethered Lipid Bilayers. The Journal of Membrane Biology.
DOI: 10.1007/s00232-025-00346-3