Neon is a chemical element with the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. It is found in nature in microscopic quantities as a gas in the Earth’s atmosphere, in which it makes up 18 parts per million. Neon is the second lightest of the noble gases and is inert, odorless and tasteless under standard conditions. It is used in neon signs and other applications where it glows with a familiar red-orange color when an electrical discharge passes through it. Neon is also used as a cryogenic refrigerant and in scientific experiments such as spectroscopy.
A neon sign works by placing the gas, usually in combination with argon and/or krypton, into a sealed tube at low pressure and passing an electrical current through it. The current excites the atoms in the gas, making them emit photons of light at specific wavelengths (colours). Several factors affect the colour produced; these include temperature and electrical intensity.
Neon is inert and does not form compounds in nature, but it can form unstable clathrates or Van der Waals molecules under very specific (extreme) conditions. It has also been shown to interact with transition metals within organic-inorganic frameworks. Scientists at the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre and at Argonne National Laboratory have measured the structure of neon atoms in these materials, and are studying whether neon can help to stabilize structures like protein cages.