Reactions of Ethers
Ethers (R-O-R’) are compounds formed by replacing hydrogen atoms of an alcohol (R-OH compound) or a phenol (C6H5OH) by an aryl/ acyl group (functional group after removing single hydrogen from an aromatic ring). In this section, reaction, preparation and behavior of ethers are discussed in the context of organic chemistry.
Epoxides
Epoxides are a special class of cyclic ethers which are an important functional group in organic chemistry and generate reactive centers due to their unusual high reactivity. Due to their high reactivity, epoxides are considered to be toxic and mutagenic.
Williamson Ether Synthesis
An organic reaction in which an organohalide and a deprotonated alcohol forms ether is known as Williamson ether synthesis. Alexander Williamson developed the Williamson ether synthesis in 1850. The formation of ether in this synthesis is an SN2 reaction.
![### Organic Chemistry
#### Maxwell
Presented by Macmillan Learning
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**Classify the mechanism as a substitution, elimination, or addition reaction.**
![Reaction Mechanism]
The reactants and products in the chemical reaction illustrated in the image are as follows:
Reactants:
1. An organic compound with a chlorine (Cl) atom attached to a carbon chain.
2. A hydroxide ion (OH⁻), represented by a negatively charged oxygen (O) with two lone pairs of electrons and bonded to hydrogen (H).
Products:
1. An alkene (a carbon chain with a double bond).
2. Water (H2O).
3. A chloride ion (Cl⁻), represented by a negatively charged chlorine with three lone pairs of electrons.
**The mechanism is:**
- [ ] elimination
- [ ] addition
- [ ] substitution
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**Explanation:**
In the depicted reaction, the organic compound loses a chlorine atom (Cl) and a hydrogen atom (H), which are released as a chloride ion (Cl⁻) and water (H₂O) respectively. A double bond is formed within the carbon chain.
To classify this reaction:
- **Elimination**: A reaction where two substituents are removed from a molecule, resulting in the formation of a double bond or triple bond.
- **Addition**: A reaction where atoms or groups of atoms are added to a molecule without the elimination of other atoms.
- **Substitution**: A reaction where one functional group in a chemical compound is replaced by another.
**Therefore, this reaction is an elimination reaction.**](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2F1828d5f7-d5ca-46c8-9ce5-34a4189f4e24%2Fb1bc6612-43d0-4378-9e63-c621f868821c%2Fb2acq7_processed.png&w=3840&q=75)
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