Xenon is a valuable and scarce noble gas used in various applications, including lighting, electronics, and anesthetics, among many others. It is also a volatile byproduct of the nuclear fission of uranium. We present a novel material architecture consisting of silicate nanocages in contact with a metal surface and an approach for trapping Xe using this material at low Xe pressures at temperatures between 400 K and 600 K. We use synchrotron-based ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) to follow the Xe trapping inside. Xe release occurs only by heating to temperatures above 750 K. Monte Carlo simulations are used to model the trapping kinetics. Density functional theory calculations show consistent activation energies for Xe exiting the cages. This work can have significant implications in various fields, including Xe production and nuclear energy. The material and strategy applied are expected to also work for Ar, Kr, and Rn.

Xenon trapping in metal-supported silica nanocages

ACS Fall 2021

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