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.

![### Predict the Product(s):
In the provided reaction, anisole (methoxybenzene) reacts with bromine \((\text{Br}_2)\) in the presence of iron(III) bromide \((\text{FeBr}_3)\) as a catalyst. The task is to predict the product(s) formed under these conditions.
#### Reaction Scheme:
- Reactant: Anisole \((\text{C}_6\text{H}_5\text{OCH}_3)\)
- Reagents: Bromine \((\text{Br}_2)\) in the presence of iron(III) bromide \((\text{FeBr}_3)\)
1. **Option 1:**
- Product: Single brominated anisole
\[\includegraphics[scale=0.5]{br_ph.png}\]
- Structure: Bromine attached to the ortho position of the benzene ring with respect to the methoxy group
2. **Option 2:**
- Products: Two isomers of brominated anisole
\[\includegraphics[scale=0.5]{br_ph_both.png}\]
- Structures: Bromines attached to the ortho and para positions of the benzene ring with respect to the methoxy group
### Explanation:
Anisole undergoes electrophilic aromatic substitution more readily in the presence of a strong catalyst like \(\text{FeBr}_3\). The methoxy group (\(-\text{OCH}_3)\) is an activating group that directs the incoming bromine to the ortho and para positions of the benzene ring. Therefore, the products could include either:
- A single substitution at the ortho position.
- A mixture of both ortho and para substituted products.
### Conclusion:
The correct answer is likely the second option, reflecting the typical behavior of anisole under these reaction conditions resulting in both ortho and para substituted brominated products.](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2Fef4f72d3-80ca-49e0-beb6-c5f7f04e690f%2Fe798709c-dcab-46b8-a746-4bf05365b5ce%2Fevxk20f_processed.png&w=3840&q=75)

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