ethers

• Ethers can be regarded as substituted alkanes in which a hydrogen atom is replaced with an alkoxy functional group, –OR, and have the general structure R' – O – R'', where R' and R'' are alkyl groups
• Ethers are named as substituted alkanes in which a hydrogen atom is replaced with an alkoxy functional group (-OR)
• The alkoxy group is named by adding the ending ‘oxy’ to the alkyl substituent, and this prefixes the name of the longest carbon chain
• Ethers can be prepared in a nucleophilic substitution reaction by reacting a monohaloalkane with an alkoxide
• Due to the lack of hydrogen bonding between ether molecules, they have lower boiling points than the corresponding isomeric alcohols.
• Smaller GFM ethers (Methoxymethane and methoxyethane) are soluble in water. Larger ethers are insoluble in water due to their increased molecular size (GFM).
• Ethers are commonly used as solvents since they are relatively inert chemically and will dissolve many organic compounds.