The quadrupolar spli:ting of xenon-131 (f = 3/2) in a liquid crystaliine solvent is reported. NMR spectra of highly symmetric ions or moleclJles dissolved in liquid crystalline solvents invariably exhtibit dipolar or quadrupolar splittings which indicate that they are apparently oriented. Examples are tetramethylsilane [I] or methane [2] in nematic solvents or alkali, halogen or ammonium ions in lyotropic systems [3-S] _ The effect may be interpreted in terms of dynamic distortions [6] or, in particular for ions in lyotropics, as a consequence of external electric field gradients (efg) [7] _ in this communication we extend these studies to 131Xe dissolved in a mixture of poly--y-benzyl-Lglutamate (PBLG) and deuterated chloroform which is a liquid crystal [8] . The spin of xenon-l 3 1 is 3/2 and in the presence of quadrupolar interaction should give a (first order) spectrum consisting of 3 resonances with approximate intensities of 3:4:3. Unlike methane, Ne. and similar species, distortions in xenon cannot be attributed either to bond angle deformations or to effects associated with the electric charge which they can-y. Still, xenon is expected to behave similarly to methane if we assume that rhe distortions are determined by properties such as polarizability, or ionization potential. The molecular polariiabilities for methane and xenon (ii the gas phase) are 6.53 and 10.09 cm3 respectively and the corresponding ionization potentials are 12.16 and 12.13 eV. The high poiariibility of Xe is manifested in studies cf its adsorption on surfaces where large induced dipole moments or induced energies are inferred [9]_ A mixture of PBLG-CDC13 was chosen as solvent