Ether

An ether is an organic compound in which one oxygen atom is bonded to two carbon groups, with no carbonyl carbon directly adjacent to that linkage.

Ether functional group: A C–O–C linkage in which an oxygen atom is bonded to two carbon atoms. This linkage defines the structural feature shared by all ethers.
Diethyl ether: A volatile ether with two ethyl groups, historically used as a general anesthetic and still used as a solvent. It is the classic example of an ether used both as a solvent and anesthetic.
Williamson ether synthesis: A reaction that forms ethers by coupling an alkoxide with a primary alkyl halide or sulfonate. It is a broadly useful route for constructing unsymmetrical ethers.
Epoxide: A three-membered cyclic ether containing one oxygen atom and two carbon atoms. Epoxides are strained cyclic ethers that undergo ring-opening reactions far more readily than ordinary ethers.
IUPAC nomenclature: The systematic rules for naming chemical compounds. IUPAC names identify ethers by treating one carbon group and oxygen as an alkoxy substituent.
Tetrahydrofuran: A five-membered cyclic ether commonly used as an organic solvent. Its cyclic structure makes it a widely used ether solvent for polymers and organometallic reactions.
Acid-catalyzed ether cleavage: The breaking of an ether C–O bond by strong acids, often hydrogen halides. Strong acids can convert ether linkages into alcohols and alkyl halides.
Thioether: An organic compound in which a sulfur atom is bonded to two carbon groups. Thioethers replace ether oxygen with sulfur, changing bond length, polarity, and reactivity.
Alcohol: An organic compound containing a hydroxyl group bonded to a saturated carbon atom. Alcohols have an O–H bond where ethers have a second carbon–oxygen bond.
Polyethylene glycol: A family of polymers with repeating ethylene oxide units and hydroxyl end groups. Its repeating ether bonds help make it water-soluble and useful in medicines and formulations.

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