Xenic acid is a proposed noble gas compound with the chemical formula H2XeO4 or XeO2(OH)2. It has not been isolated, and the published characterization data are ambiguous.

Salts of xenic acid are called xenates, containing the HXeO− 4 anion, such as monosodium xenate. They tend to disproportionate into xenon gas and perxenates:

2 HXeO− 4 + 2 OH− → XeO4− 6 + Xe + O2 + 2 H2O

The energy given off is sufficient to form ozone from diatomic oxygen:

3 O2 (g) → 2 O3 (g)

Salts containing the deprotonated anion XeO2− 4 are presently unknown.

Further reading

  • Bruno Jaselskis, Stanislaus Vas (May 1964). "Xenic Acid Reactions with vic-Diols". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 86 (10): 2078–2079. doi:.