Question

The statement which prompted Neil Bartlett to prepare the first noble gas compound was:
(A) Xe-F bond has high bond energy
(B) $ F{}_2 $ has exceptionally low bond energy
(C) $ PtF{}_6 $ is a strong oxidant
(D) $ O{}_2 $ molecule and Xe atom have very similar ionization energies.

Answer 1

Hint: Neil Bartlett was a well known chemist who held specialization in fluorine and its components which were made up of fluorine and gained fame for creating the first ever noble gas compounds. By making a few changes in the solvent and basic properties of $ XeF{}_6 $ , He was able to prepare this first ever quinquevalent gold compound.

Complete answer:
Neil Bartlett speciality was the chemistry of fluorine and the components which had fluorine in them. He prepared the first noble gas in the year $ 1962 $ which is known as xenon hexafluoroplatinate. This contradicted many of the established models of the nature of valency, as back then it was believed that the noble gases were known to be entirely inert to chemical combinations. He then kept on producing and reproducing other fluorides of xenon. Hence the statement, which prompted him to prepare this noble gas was option D. O2​ molecule and Xe atom have very similar ionization energies.

Note:
He estimated that more noble gas compounds that we are aware about today. These compounds are very rich in energy, known to be unstable and therefore they are reactive. These noble gases have an impact in our daily lives for example, $ XeF{}_2 $ is used to convert uracil to $ 5 $ -fluorouracil, the very first anti-tumor agents.