kryptonchloride

Krypton chloride refers to chemical species containing krypton and chlorine. Krypton is a noble gas and forms only a few stable compounds; chlorides of krypton are among the rarest noble-gas halides. The term can denote several species, most notably the neutral diatomic molecule KrCl, which has been observed under high-energy conditions and in cryogenic matrices. KrCl is not stable at room temperature and pressure, where it tends to dissociate to krypton and chlorine.

Formation methods for krypton–chlorine species include electrical discharge through mixtures of krypton and chlorine gas, photolysis of krypton–chlorine compounds, or laser ablation of krypton in a chlorine-containing environment. In matrix isolation experiments at cryogenic temperatures, KrCl can be stabilized and studied spectroscopically, providing insight into weak covalent interactions between a noble gas and a halogen.

Other krypton–chlorine species, such as KrCl2, have been reported in specialized experiments, though those observations are less established; some studies have reported KrCl2+ or KrCl2− under mass spectrometry or ionization conditions. Overall, krypton chlorides are primarily of interest to physical chemists studying bonding in noble-gas compounds rather than practical applications.

Safety and handling: chlorine gas is toxic and corrosive, and experiments involving chlorine and krypton should follow appropriate laboratory safety protocols. Krypton itself is inert, but standard precautions for reactive halogen gases apply.