Williamson ether synthesis
The Williamson ether synthesis is an organic reaction, forming an ether from an organohalide and a deprotonated alcohol (alkoxide). 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.
| Williamson Ether Synthesis | |
|---|---|
| Named after | Alexander William Williamson |
| Reaction type | Coupling reaction |
| Identifiers | |
| Organic Chemistry Portal | williamson-synthesis |
| RSC ontology ID | RXNO:0000090 |
The general reaction mechanism is as follows:
An example is the reaction of sodium ethoxide with chloroethane to form diethyl ether and sodium chloride:
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