Neon • Noble Gases

Primary XPS region: Ne1s
Overlapping regions: F KLL
Binding energies of common chemical states:

Experimental Information

• Ne is a gas and is not commonly found in XPS spectra.
  
  • It may be observed as implanted atoms, if a material has been subjected to ion bombardment using Ne gas instead of the more usual Ar gas.

Interpretation of XPS Spectra

None

About This Element

Symbol: Ne
Date of Discovery: 1898
Name Origin: Greek neon
Appearance: colorless
Discoverer: Sir William Ramsay, Morris T. Travers
Obtained From: extracted from air

Melting Point: -248.6 K
Boiling Point: -246.1 K Density[kg/m3]: unknown
Molar Volume: 13.23 × 10-6 m3/mol Protons/Electrons: 10
Neutrons: 10
Shell Structure: 2,8
Electron Configuration: [He]2s22p6
Oxidation State: unknown
Crystal Structure: Cubic

Neon was discovered through the study of liquefied air by British chemists Sir William Ramsay and Morris M. Travers. A very common element throughout the universe, only 0.0018% of the earth’s atmosphere is neon. When ionized in a glass tube, neon emits a red light. This effect accounts for neon’s largest use in advertising lighting. Neon is also used to make high voltage indicators and is combined with helium to make helium-neon lasers. Liquid neon is used as a cryogenic refrigerant. Neon is highly inert and forms no known compounds, although there is some evidence that it could form a compound with flourine.