Serendipitous experiment on xenon complex reveals insights into rare gas interaction

An image showing a Cobra microwave spectrometer undergoing maintenance

Source: © Jens-Uwe Grabow

Experiment and theory combo gives benchmark for predicting non-covalent complexes

Scientists calibrating their instruments have managed to characterise an unusual noble gas complex. Using quantum chemical calculations and rotation spectroscopy, they have unpicked the structure of the non-covalent xenon⋯carbonyl sulfide complex (Xe⋯OCS) and established a benchmark-quality reference for this rare gas interaction.