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.

CH₃CH₂-O-H + CH₂=CH₂ <=> CH₃CH₂-O-CH₂CH₃, ether or diethyl ether.

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.

See also

• Dimethyl ether
• Water
• Hydrogen bonding
• Solvents
• Lewis base
• Grignard reagent
• Boiling point