The salt [F
5SN(H)
Xe][AsF
6] has been synthesize
d by the reaction of [F
5SNH
3][AsF
6] with XeF
2 in anhy
drous HF (aHF) an
d BrF
5 solvents an
d by solvolysis of [F
3S
![](http://pubs.acs.org/images/entities/tb<font color=)
d1.gif">NXeF][AsF
6] in aHF. Both F
5SN(H)Xe
+ an
d F
5SNH
3+ have been characterize
d by
129Xe,
19F, an
d 1H NMR spectroscopy in aHF (−20 °C) an
d BrF
5 (supercoole
d to −70 °C). The yellow [F
5SN(H)Xe][AsF
6] salt was crystallize
d from aHF at −20 °C an
d characterize
d by Raman spectroscopy at −45 °C an
d by single-crystal X-ray
diffraction at −173 °C. The Xe−N bon
d length (2.069(4) Å) of the F
5SN(H)Xe
+ cation is among the shortest Xe−N bon
ds presently known. The cation interacts with the AsF
6− anion by means of a Xe---F−As bri
dge in which the Xe---F
distance (2.634(3) Å) is significantly less than the sum of the Xe an
d F van
der Waals ra
dii (3.63 Å) an
d the AsF
6− anion is significantly
distorte
d from
Oh symmetry. The
19F an
d 129Xe NMR spectra establishe
d that the [F
5SN(H)Xe][AsF
6] ion pair is
dissociate
d in aHF an
d BrF
5 solvents. The F
5SN(H)Xe
+ cation
decomposes by HF solvolysis to F
5SNH
3+ an
d XeF
2, followe
d by solvolysis of F
5SNH
3+ to SF
6 an
d NH
4+. A minor
decomposition channel lea
ds to small quantities of F
5SNF
2. The colorless salt, [F
5SNH
3][AsF
6], was synthesize
d by the HF solvolysis of F
3S
![](http://pubs.acs.org/images/entities/tb<font color=)
d1.gif">NAsF
5 an
d was crystallize
d from aHF at −35 °C. The salt was characterize
d by Raman spectroscopy at −160 °C, an
d its unit cell parameters were
determine
d by low-temperature X-ray
diffraction. Electronic structure calculations using MP2 an
d DFT metho
ds were use
d to calculate the gas-phase geometries, charges, bon
d or
ders, an
d valencies as well as the vibrational frequencies of F
5SNH
3+ an
d F
5SN(H)Xe
+ an
d to ai
d in the assignment of their experimental vibrational frequencies. In a
ddition to F
5TeN(H)Xe
+, the F
5SN(H)Xe
+ cation provi
des the only other example of
xenon bon
de
d to an sp
3-hybri
dize
d nitrogen center that has been synthesize
d an
d structurally characterize
d. These cations represent the strongest Xe−N bon
ds that are presently known.