Xenon as a Nucleophile in Gas-Phase Displacement Reactions: Formation of the Methyl Xenonium Ion

Abstract
Xenon undergoes reaction with protonated methyl fluoride in the gas phase to form abundant quantities of the stable methyl xenonium ion, CH3Xe+. Estimated values for the xenon-carbon and krypton-carbon bond strengths in the rare gas-methyl molecular ions are 43 ± 8 and 21 ± 15 kilocalories per mole, respectively.