chemistry

Neon compounds

Neon compounds is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Neon compounds rather than just read about it. In short: Neon compounds are chemical compounds containing the element neon (Ne) with other molecules or elements from the periodic table. Compounds of the noble gas neon were believed not to exist, but there are now known to be molecular ions containing neon, as well as temporary excited neon-containing molecules called excimers.

Key takeaways

Neon compounds belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Neon compounds to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Neon compounds from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Neon compounds are chemical compounds containing the element neon (Ne) with other molecules or elements from the periodic table. Compounds of the noble gas neon were believed not to exist, but there are now known to be molecular ions containing neon, as well as temporary excited neon-containing molecules called excimers. Several neutral neon molecules have also been predicted to be stable, but are yet to be discovered in nature. Neon has been shown to crystallize with other substances and form clathrates or Van der Waals solids. Neon has a high first ionization potential of 21.564 eV, which is only exceeded by that of helium (24.587 eV), requiring too much energy to make stable ionic compounds. Neon's polarisability of 0.395 Å3 is the second lowest of any element (only helium's is more extreme). Low polarisability means there will be little tendency to link to other atoms. Neon has a Lewis basicity or proton affinity of 2.06 eV. Neon is theoretically less reactive than helium, making it the least reactive of all the elements.

Van der Waals molecules Van der Waals molecules are those where neon is held onto other components by London dispersion forces. The forces are very weak, so the bonds will be disrupted if there is too much molecular vibration, which happens if the temperature is too high (above that of solid neon). Neon atoms themselves can be linked together to make clusters of atoms. The dimer Ne2, trimer Ne3 and tetramer Ne4 have all been characterised by Coulomb explosion imaging. The molecules are made by an expanding supersonic jet of neon gas. The neon dimer has an average distance of 3.3 Å between atoms. The neon trimer is shaped approximately like an equilateral triangle with sides 3.3 Å long. However, the shape is floppy and isosceles triangle shapes are also common. The first excited state of the neon trimer is 2 meV above the ground state. The neon tetramer takes the form of a tetrahedron with sides around 3.2 Å. Van der Waals molecules with metals include LiNe. More Van der Waals molecules include CF4Ne and CCl4Ne, Ne2Cl2, Ne3Cl2, I2Ne, I2Ne2, I2Ne3, I2Ne4, I2NexHey (x=1-5, y=1-4). Van der Waals molecules formed with organic molecules in gas include aniline, dimethyl ether, 1,1-difluoroethylene, pyrimidine, chlorobenzene, cyclopentanone, cyanocyclobutane, and cyclopentadienyl.

Ligands Neon can form a very weak bond to a transition metal atom as a ligand, for example Cr(CO)5Ne, Mo(CO)5Ne, and W(CO)5Ne. NeNiCO is predicted to have a binding energy of 2.16 kcal/mol. The presence of neon changes the bending frequency of Ni−C−O by 36 cm−1. NeAuF and NeBeS have been isolated in noble gas matrixes. NeBeCO3 has been detected by infrared spectroscopy in a solid neon matrix. It was made from beryllium gas, dioxygen and carbon monoxide. The cyclic molecule Be2O2 can be made by evaporating Be with a laser with oxygen and an excess of inert gas. It coordinates two noble gas atoms and has had spectra measured in solid neon matrices. Known neon containing molecules are the homoleptic Ne.Be2O2.Ne, and heteroleptic Ne.Be2O2.Ar and Ne.Be2O2.Kr. The neon atoms are attracted to the beryllium atoms as they have a positive charge in this molecule. Beryllium sulfite molecules BeO2S, can also coordinate neon onto the beryllium atom. The dissociation energy for neon is 0.9 kcal/mol. When neon is added to the cyclic molecule, the ∠O-Be-O decreases and the O-Be bond lengths increase.

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Neon compounds

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Neon compounds claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Neon compounds before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Neon compounds ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Neon compounds

In research: Neon compounds appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Neon compounds in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Neon compounds is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Chemical compounds by element, Neon, Noble gas compounds, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Neon compounds outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Neon compounds in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Neon compounds means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Neon compounds out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Neon compounds in simple terms?

Why does Neon compounds matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Neon compounds?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Neon compounds.