Types and Reactions of Simple Ethers

Substitution of the hydroxyl hydrogens of alcohols by hydrocarbon groups gives compounds known as ethers. These compounds may be classified further as open-chain, cyclic, saturated, unsaturated, aromatic, and so on. For the naming of ethers, see Sections 7-3 and 15-11 A. 

The most generally useful methods of preparing ethers already have been discussed (Sections 8-7C, 8-7E, 15-4C, and 15-5C). These and some additional special procedures are summarized in Table 15-4. 

In general, ethers are low on the scale of chemical reactivity because the carbon-oxygen bond is not cleaved readily. For this reason ethers frequently are employed as inert solvents in organic synthesis. Particularly important in this connection are diethyl ether, diisopropyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, and 1,4-dioxane. The mono- and dialkyl ethers of 1,2-ethanediol, 3-oxa-l,5-pentanediol, and related substances are useful high-boiling solvents. Unfortunately, their trade names are not very rational. Abbreviated names are in 

Reaction of alkoxides and alkyl compounds (Williamson synthesis) 

2-ethoxy-2-methylpropane, ethyl ferf-butyl ether (95%) 

---