The fact that PtF6 is strong enough to oxidise O2, whose first ionization potential is 12.2 eV, led Neil Bartlett to correctly surmise that it might be able to oxidise xenon (first ionization potential 12.13 eV).

This led to the discovery of xenon hexafluoroplatinate,[2] which proved that the noble gases, previously thought to be inert, are able to form chemical compounds.

Dioxygenyl hexafluoroplatinate can be synthesized from the elements by the action of a mixture of oxygen and fluorine gas on platinum sponge at 450 °C.

[1] Bartlett demonstrated that it can be synthesized at room temperature by the reaction of oxygen gas with PtF6.

[1] Dioxygenyl hexafluoroplatinate(V) is a convenient route to prepare other platinum(V) compounds, such as potassium hexafluoroplatinate(V) via reaction with potassium fluoride in iodine pentafluoride (IF5) solution[3] in which iodine heptafluoride is produced: