Ether Reactions Synthesis Physical Properties Nomenclature

Ether is the trivial name for the compound diethyl ether, CH₃CH₂OCH₂CH₃; the systematic ( IUPAC) name of the compound is ethoxyethane. Alchemist Raymundus Lullus is credited with discovering the compound in 1275, although there is no contemporary evidence of this. It was first synthesized in 1540 by Valerius Cordus, who called it "sweet oil of vitriol" (oleum dulci vitrioli), and noted some of its medicinal properties. At about the same time, Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, better known as Paracelsus, discovered ether's analgesic properties. The name ether was given to the substance in 1730 by F. G. Frobenius.

The American doctor Crawford Williamson Long, M.D., was the first surgeon to use it as an general anesthetic, on March 30, 1842. Its first use is normally associated with the EtherdomeThe Etherdome is the operating room of the Bulfinch Building at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. It was the first place that ether was used as a surgical anesthesic. in Boston, MassachusettsAlternate meanings: Boston (disambiguation Old State House in Boston is surrounded by tall buildings of the 19th and 20th centuries. Boston is the capital and largest city in Massachusetts in the United States. It is the unofficial capital of the region k. Ether is no longer used as an anesthetic when other, safer substances are available; ether is flammable, and is an irritant to some patients.

In more general chemicalChemistry is the science of matter and its interactions with energy (see physics, biology). Because of the diversity of matter (which is mostly atomic), Chemists are often engaged in the pursuit of studying how atoms interact to form molecules, and how mo terminology, an ether is a functional groupIn ecology functional groups are collections of organisms based on morphological, physiological, behavioral, biochemical, or environmental responses or on trophic criteria. In organic chemistry functional groups are submolecular structural motifs, charact consisting of an oxygen atom bonded to two carbon atoms that are not bonded. An example of an ether in this sense is methoxymethane (or dimethyl ether), which has the formula CH₃OCH₃. Note that if either carbon bonded to the oxygen bridge is also double-bonded to another oxygen atom (eg CH₃COOCH₃) then the compound is an esterFor the Biblical Ester, see Esther. For the town, see Ester, Alaska. In organic chemistry and biochemistry esters are substances that have the functional group R´-COOR" (the carbon is double-bonded to one oxygen atom and single-bonded to another) and cons, not an ether.

1 Reactions

1.1 Synthesis

2 Physical properties

Like esters, ethers are limited in their ability to form hydrogen bonds. They tend to be more hydrophobic than other, analogous condensation products (such as esters or amides). They are resistant to hydrolysis.

Ethers which have a CH group next to the oxygen form peroxides, which are highly explosive. Due to this and the low ignition point of diethyl ether, diethyl ether is one of the risk factors in laboratories.

Despite their comparably attenuated reactivity, ethers can act as Lewis bases (see Acid-base reaction theories). For instance, diethyl ether forms a complex with boron compounds, such as boron trifluoride etherate, F₃B:O(CH₂CH₃)₂

3 Nomenclature

Ethers can be named in two ways according to the IUPAC naming system. The first, used for simple ethers, simply lists the two groups attached to the ether in alphabetical order followed by the word "ether". Thus CH₃-CH₂-O-CH₃ is ethyl methyl ether. When the ether is part of a more complex molecule, it is named as an alkoxy substituent, so -OCH₃ would be considered a " methoxy- " group.

Ethers

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