Radon is best known as a radioactive gas that shows up in basements and uranium-rich soils, but in controlled labs it can form a handful of chemical species that reveal how heavy noble gases can bond. Researchers study those rare products under cold, fluorinating or matrix-isolation conditions to pin down their signatures and lifetimes.
There are 8 Radon Compounds, ranging from Radon difluoride to Radon-fluoride molecular complexes (chemically bound). For each entry the table below summarizes Formula, Evidence, and Stability (half-life, s) so you can compare how they were detected and how long they persist — you’ll find below.
Can radon compounds be handled or stored like ordinary chemicals?
Most radon species are short-lived and require specialized radiochemistry labs; they’re usually generated in situ at low temperature or trapped in inert matrices and studied spectroscopically. Practical handling focuses on minimizing exposure to radiation and collecting transient signals rather than long-term storage.
What does the “Stability (half-life, s)” column actually indicate?
That value typically reports the observed lifetime of the chemical species under experimental conditions (seconds), based on spectroscopic decay or reaction rates. It’s a measure of chemical persistence in the setup, and distinct from the nuclear half-life of the radon isotope itself.
Radon Compounds
| Name | Formula | Evidence | Stability (half-life, s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon difluoride | RnF2 | experimental (low-temperature synthesis) | 330,000 s (stable, Rn-222 limit) |
| Radon monofluoride cation | RnF+ | experimental (gas-phase mass spectrometry) | 0.01 s (transient) |
| Radon difluoride cation | RnF2+ | experimental (mass spectrometry) | 0.01 s (transient) |
| Radon tetrafluoride | RnF4 | theoretical (quantum-chemical prediction) | 330,000 s (predicted, Rn-222 limit) |
| Radon hexafluoride | RnF6 | theoretical/disputed | 330,000 s (predicted/uncertain) |
| Radon oxide (monoxide) | RnO | theoretical (quantum-chemical prediction) | 330,000 s (predicted) |
| Radon dioxide | RnO2 | theoretical (quantum-chemical prediction) | 330,000 s (predicted) |
| Radon-fluoride molecular complexes (chemically bound) | RnFn·X (general) | disputed/theoretical for many complexes | 330,000 s or 0.01 s (varies) |
Images and Descriptions
Radon difluoride
A solid compound reported from reactions of radon with fluorine at low temperature or on cold surfaces; experimentally claimed but scarce. Chemically bonded Rn–F, radiolysis and Rn-222 decay limit storage; handle with extreme radiological precautions.
Radon monofluoride cation
Detected as a short-lived ion in ion-molecule studies and mass spectra of radon/fluorine mixtures. Exists only in the gas/ion phase for milliseconds, produced in high-energy sources; extreme radioactivity and transient nature prevent bulk handling.
Radon difluoride cation
Observed as a fleeting gas-phase ion in beam and mass-spectrometry experiments. Indicates chemical Rn–F bonding under ionizing conditions; lifetimes are milliseconds and samples are intensely radioactive and not isolable.
Radon tetrafluoride
Predicted by computational chemistry as a possible higher fluoride with Rn in a +4 environment. Not yet made; if synthesized it would be short-lived due to radioactivity and radiolytic instability, requiring cryogenic and radiochemical precautions.
Radon hexafluoride
Some calculations explored an Rn(+6) fluoride but results are conflicting; high oxidation state likely unstable. Considered speculative; extreme reactivity and radioactivity would make any compound hazardous and fleeting.
Radon oxide (monoxide)
Simple radon–oxygen bonded species predicted by theory under strong oxidizing conditions or matrix environments. Not observed experimentally; any formation would be rare, short-lived and pose significant radiological hazard.
Radon dioxide
A higher oxide predicted in some theoretical studies as a possible product of strong oxidation. No experimental confirmation; would be radioactive and chemically unstable due to radiolysis and decay.
Radon-fluoride molecular complexes (chemically bound)
A variety of predicted or debated radon–fluorine bonded species (adducts, polyfluorides, salts) have been proposed. Some gas-phase ions seen, but bulk bonded complexes are mostly theoretical or disputed and would be highly radioactive and unstable.
