Question

How will the following be obtained? (Give chemical equation):

Diethyl ether from sodium ethoxide.

Write a chemical equation to convert the following:

Sodium ethoxide to ethoxyethane.

Answer 1

To convert Sodium ethoxide to Ethoxyethane (Diethyl ether, you react it with Ethyl bromide (or Ethyl iodide). This is known as the Williamson Ether Synthesis.

\[\ce{\underset{(Sodium ethoxide)}{CH3 - CH2 - ON}a + Br \underset{(Ethyl bromide)}{- CH2 - CH3} ->[\Delta] CH3 - CH2 \underset{(Diethyl ether)}{- O - CH2 -} CH3 + NaBr}\]