Diethyl ether is a solvent that is useful for grignard reactions. It's also an anesthetic. Diethyl ether is highly flammable (even
electrical outlets and too high temperatures can ignite it. Diethyl ether must be stored with butylated hydroxytoluene to avoid peroxide products which are explosive. Diethyl ether is also sometimes used for extractions, but other solvents like ethyl chloride, chloroform, toluene, hexane, and dichloromethane are generally preferred. Diethyl ether is synthesized by reacting ethanol with sulfuric acid. This reaction must be carried out at temperatures lower than 150 °C in order to ensure that an elimination product (ethylene) is not a product of the reaction. At higher temperatures, ethanol will dehydrate to form ethylene. The reaction to make diethyl ether is
reversible, so
eventually an equilibrium between reactants and products is achieved. Getting a good yield of ether requires that ether be distilled out of the reaction mixture before it reverts to ethanol.
Properties
Chemical formula
(CH3CH2)2O
Molar mass
74.123 g/mol
Appearance
Colorless liquid
Odor
Dry, Rum-like, sweetish odor
Density
0.7134 g/cm3, liquid
Melting point
−116.3 °C (−177.3 °F; 156.8 K)
Boiling point
34.6 °C (94.3 °F; 307.8 K)
Solubility in water
6.05 g/100 mL
Vapor pressure
440 mmHg at 20 °C (58.66 kPa at 20 °C)
