The PVT Equation of State of Xenon Difluoride (PEARL)

The discovery of noble gas compounds in the early 1960s is a landmark in Inorganic Chemistry, but relatively little is known about their response to high pressure. Crystal structures of compounds containing Xe and F contain numerous intermolecular Xe…F interactions which are highly sensitive to pressure. This joint proposal for PEARL and HRPD time will determine the variation of the unit cell volume (V) of XeF2 as a function of pressure (P) and temperature (T) to yield a ‘PVT’ equation of state2. The complete PVT characterisation of this simple model compound allows access to numerous thermodynamic relationships, including experimental quantification of the change in lattice energy on compression. The results will provide a detailed picture of both the structural and thermodynamic effects of pressure in a fundamentally important class of inorganic material.