The Williamson ether synthesis is an organic reaction, forming an ether from an organohalide and an alcohol. This reaction was developed by Alexander Williamson in 1850. Typically it involves the reaction of an alkoxide ion with a primary alkyl halide via an SN2 reaction. This reaction is important in the history of organic chemistry because it helped prove the structure of ethers.
The general reaction mechanism is as follows:
An example is the reaction of sodium ethoxide with chloroethane to form diethyl ether and sodium chloride:
- Na+C2H5O− + C2H5Cl → C2H5OC2H5 + Na+Cl−
Read more about Williamson Ether Synthesis: Scope, Conditions, Side Reactions
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