Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) researchers have discovered how to capture rare gases in two-dimensional cages. These cages trap atoms of argon, krypton and xenon at temperatures above freezing. Inert gases are the least reactive elements in the periodic table. They condense out of the air at very low temperatures. As a result, they are extremely difficult to capture at temperatures above the boiling point.

Scientists, industry, energy companies and others all need to capture inert gases at temperatures above the boiling point. However, capturing the atoms of these elements is extremely difficult because most nanomaterials produce a weak trapping force, which is only a billionth of a metre thick. Researchers at the National Synchrotron Radiation Source II (NSLS-II) and the Center for Functional Nanomaterials have now determined how two-dimensional nanocompounds form when ultrathin silica and aluminosilicate crystal cages capture argon, krypton, or xenon at 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The researchers used XPS and DFT to show how these traps, known as cage compounds, are formed by novel activated physical adsorption mechanisms supported by chemical changes in noble gas atoms. The calculations were performed at the Center for Scientific Data and Computing and the National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center at the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science User Facilities. The inert gas ions are neutralized as they enter the cage, causing them to trap at temperatures well above the boiling point: argon at 167, krypton at 437, and xenon at 752. This research may lead to new methods of gas capture and separation for environmental and health applications.

Newradar supplies a wide range of rare gases such as krypton, xenon, helium and noble gas mixture.