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.
![**Question:** What is the major organic product of this synthetic sequence?
**Given:**
Starting compound:
A benzene ring with an NH2 group (aniline) and a Cl group (chlorine) attached to it.
Reagents and conditions:
1) NaNO2, HCl, cold
2) CuCl
**Possible Products:**
1. Benzene ring with NO2 (nitro) and Cl (chlorine) groups.
2. Benzene ring with two Cl groups (chlorine).
3. Benzene ring with NH2 (amine) and NO2 (nitro) groups.
4. Benzene ring with two NO2 (nitro) groups.
***Explanation of the Reagents and Conditions:***
1) **NaNO2, HCl, cold:** This combination is used to convert an amine group (-NH2) to a diazonium salt (-N2+Cl-) under cold conditions.
2) **CuCl:** This is typically used in the Sandmeyer reaction to replace the diazonium group with a chlorine atom.
Therefore, the expected transformation is:
**Starting Material:**
A benzene ring with an NH2 group (aniline) and a Cl group.
**Reactions:**
1) The NH2 group is converted to a diazonium salt using NaNO2 and HCl under cold conditions.
2) The diazonium group is replaced with a Cl atom using CuCl.
Thus, the major product of this sequence would be a benzene ring with two Cl groups (dichlorobenzene).
**Correct Answer:** The benzene ring with two Cl groups (chlorine), which corresponds to the second option in the given list.](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2F650638ef-17d9-4755-bd2c-89f9558934a8%2F9a2297c8-ba90-4b99-89ff-11606c59d234%2Fsamn82s_processed.jpeg&w=3840&q=75)
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