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.
![1. For each of the following pairs of solute and solvent, predict whether the solute would
be soluble or insoluble. After making your predictions, you can check your answers by
looking up the compounds in The Merck Index or the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and
Physics. Generally, The Merck Index is the easier reference book to use. If the substance has
a solubility greater than 40 mg/mL, you conclude that it is soluble,
a. Malic acid in water
HO-
-CHCH2
OH
ОН
Malic acid
b. Naphthalene in water
Naphthalene
c. Amphetamine in ethyl alcohol
NH2
CH»CHCH3
Amphetamine
d. Aspirin in water
С—ОН
0-Ç
-CH3
Aspirin
e. Succinic acid in hexane (Note: the polarity of hexane is similar to petroleum ether.)
НО-С-СН2СH2—С—ОН
Succinic acid
f. Ibuprofen in diethyl ether
CH3
CH3 0
CH;CHCH2 ·
CH—СОН
Ibuprofen
g. 1-Decanol (n-decyl alcohol) in water
CH3(CH,);CH,OH
1-Decanol](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2F6a20ce7e-1df7-4c45-baf6-04136a5c5255%2Fb0d6fed2-3638-4a5a-bc2f-6d5f47551fd8%2F7k7b3wq_processed.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
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