This experiment was performed by Neil Bartlett at the University of British Columbia, who formulated the product as "Xe+[PtF6]−", although subsequent work suggests that Bartlett's product was probably a salt mixture and did not in fact contain this specific salt.

The main problem with this formulation is "Xe+", which would be a radical and would dimerize or abstract a fluorine atom to give XeF+.

Thus, Bartlett discovered that Xe undergoes chemical reactions, but the nature and purity of his initial mustard yellow product remains uncertain.

[3] The title "compound" is a salt, consisting of an octahedral anionic fluoride complex of platinum and various xenon cations.

[2] In 1962, Neil Bartlett discovered that a mixture of platinum hexafluoride gas and oxygen formed a red solid.