CHM 102 ASSIGNMENT2

AHIOME DANIELLA ADERONKE 
19/mhs02/009
NURSING
CHM 102 ASSIGNMENT TWO

 
1. Give the IUPAC names of the following organic compounds.

• CH3OCH3- Methoxymethane
• CH3CH2OCH2CH3- Ethoxymethane
• (CH3CH2CH2CH2)2O-Butoxymethane
• CH3CH2OCH3-Methoxyethane
• CH3CH2CH2OCH2CH3- Ethoxypropane.

2. Discuss the properties of ethers.

• Physical states: At room temperature, ethers are colourless, neutral liquids with pleasant odours. The lower aliphatic ethers are highly flammable gases or volatile liquids.
• Solubility: Ethers are less soluble in water than they are the corresponding alcohols. Lower molecular weight ethers such as methoxymethane and methoxyethane are fairly soluble in water since the molecules are able to form hydrogen bonds with the water molecules but as the hydrocarbon content of the molecules increases, there is a rapid decline in solubility. 
• Density: Most of  the simple ethers are less dense with water, although the density increases with increasing relative molecular mass and some of the aromatic ethers are in fact denser than water.
• Boiling point: Low molecular mass ethers have a lower boiling point than the corresponding alcohols but those ethers containing alkyl radicals larger than four carbon atoms, the reverse is true.
• Reactivity: Ethers are inert at moderate temperature. Their inertness at moderate temperatures leads to their wide use as reaction media. Simple ethers are not found in commonly in nature  but the ether  linkage is present in such natural products as sugars, starches and cellulose.

3. Discuss the explicitly two methods of preparing ethers and show equations of reaction

•Partial dehydration of alcohols: Simple ethers are manufactured from alcohols by catalytic dehydration.  The alcohol in excess and concentrated tetraoxosulphate(vi)acid is heated at a carefully manitained temperature of 140°C. This process is known as continous etherification. If excess alcohol is not used, the temperature is as high as 170-180°C, further dehydration to yield alkene occurs
           Conc.H2SO4/140°C
2ROH-----------------------------àR-O-R + H2O
                             Conc. H2SO4/140°C
E.G : 2CH3CHOH---------------------------------àCH3CH2-O-CH2CH3+H20
 
• Controlled catalytic hydartion of olefins
2CH3CH=CH + H2O------à(CH3)2CH-O-CH(CH3)2
                                                    2-isopropoxypropane

4. State three uses of ethylene oxide

• It is is used as an intermediate in the hydroxylic manufacture of ethylene glycol
• It  is used in the preparation of nonionic emulsifying agents,plastics, plasticizers and several syntheic textiles
• It is used as a gaseous sterilizing agent