Organic ether
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An organic ether is essentially a water molecule with both hydrogen atoms replaced by hydrocarbons:
- H-O-H + 2 CH2=CH2 + acid catalyst <=> CH3CH2-O-H + CH2=CH2, H-O-H = water.
Organic ethers are volatile like hydrocarbons and dissolve water or cations approximately like alcohols. Diethyl ether shares its volatile properties with pentane, CH3CH2-CH2-CH2CH3, and some of its solvent properties with butyl alcohol, CH3CH2CH2CH2-OH.
Some organic ethers can form very flammable or even explosive components if exposed to air, and are therefore used as components in starting fluid. Methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) or ethyl tertiary-butyl ether (ETBE) are not as flammable, and are instead used as octane boosters in gasoline or as safer, less flammable options for diethyl ether.
Organic ether is a more general term for ether.