Adding an Ethyl Group to an Oxygen Atom to Form an Ether

What reagents are needed to add an ethyl group to an oxygen atom in order to get an ether?

1. Hydrochloric acid

2. Sulfuric acid

3. Nitric acid

Answer:

To add an ethyl group to an oxygen atom and form an ether, you would need a strong acid such as sulfuric acid.

Adding an ethyl group to an oxygen atom to form an ether involves a reaction known as nucleophilic substitution. This process requires the use of a strong acid, such as sulfuric acid, to protonate the oxygen atom and convert it into a good leaving group.

The reagent commonly used for this purpose is sulfuric acid (H2SO4). In the presence of sulfuric acid, the reaction proceeds as follows:

R-O-R' + H2SO4 → R-OH + R'-OH

The alcohol formed (R-OH) can then be further reacted with an alkyl halide (R'-X) in the presence of a base, such as sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or potassium hydroxide (KOH), to form the desired ether (R-O-R').

Therefore, by using sulfuric acid as the reagent, it is possible to add an ethyl group to an oxygen atom and create an ether through nucleophilic substitution.