The role of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the structural studi
es of xenon and krypton species has been essential to the development of no
ble-gas chemistry since the early F-19-NMR studies carried out in Ronald J.
Gillespie's laboratory at McMaster University in the late 1960's and early
1970's, These early investigations of noble-gas species in strong acid med
ia and subsequent multi-nuclear magnetic resonance (multi-NMR) studies util
izing H-1, C-13, N-14, N-15, O-17, Se-77, Te-125, Xe-129, and Xe-121 as the
observed nuclides have made possible numerous important advances of noble-
pas chemistry, contributing to our knowledge and understanding of the fluor
ide ion donor-acceptor behavior of noble-gas fluorides and oxide fluorides.
Lewis acid properties of noble-gas species and the structures of compounds
containing novel Xe-C, Xs-N, Xe-O, Kr-N, and Kr-O bonds. Trends among NMR
parameters have also proven useful in assessing the formal oxidation state
of xenon and the relative covalent characters of noble gas-ligand bonds. (C
) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.