Diethyl ether application in industry. Diethyl ether. Use in medicine

Structural formula

True, empirical, or gross formula: C4H10O

The chemical composition of diethyl ether

Molecular weight: 74.123

Diethyl ether (ethyl ether, sulfuric ether). Chemically, it is a typical aliphatic ether. Widely used as a solvent. First obtained in the Middle Ages.

Obtained by the action of acid catalysts on ethyl alcohol when heated, for example, by distillation of a mixture of ethyl alcohol and sulfuric acid at a temperature of the order of 140-150 ° C. It is also obtained as a by-product in the production of ethyl alcohol by hydration of ethylene in the presence of phosphoric acid or 96-98% sulfuric acid at 65-75 °C and a pressure of 2.5 MPa. The main part of diethyl ether is formed at the stage of hydrolysis of ethyl sulfates (95-100 ° C, 0.2 MPa)

Properties

• Colorless, transparent, very mobile, volatile liquid with a peculiar odor and burning taste.
• Highly flammable, including vapours; in a certain ratio with oxygen or air, ether vapors for anesthesia are explosive
• The resulting peroxides are unstable and explosive, they can cause self-ignition of diethyl ether during storage and explosion during its “dry” distillation.
• Solubility in water 6.5% at 20 °C. Forms an azeotropic mixture with water (bp 34.15 °C; 98.74% diethyl ether). Miscible with ethanol, benzene, essential and fatty oils in all proportions
• Decomposes on exposure to light, heat, air and moisture to form toxic aldehydes, peroxides and ketones that irritate the respiratory tract

In medicine, it is used as a drug of general anesthetic action, since its effect on neuronal membranes and the ability to “immobilize” the central nervous system is very specific and completely reversible. It is used in surgical practice for inhalation anesthesia, and in dental practice - locally, for the treatment of carious cavities and root canals of the tooth in preparation for filling.

In engineering, it is used as a solvent for cellulose nitrates in the production of smokeless powder, natural and synthetic resins, and alkaloids. It is used as an extractant for the separation of plutonium and its fission products during the production and processing of nuclear fuel, during the separation of uranium from ores. It is also used as a fuel component in aircraft model compression engines and when starting gasoline internal combustion engines in severe winter conditions.

Diethyl ether is a common agent for anesthesia performed by inhalation. This drug is actively used in the field of surgery to perform inhalation anesthesia. Ether for anesthesia used for various medical procedures.

It is a transparent, colorless, volatile, mobile, flammable liquid with a boiling point in the range of 34-35 degrees. When exposed to direct light, it begins to decompose with the formation of peroxides and aldehydes.

Action

Stabilized ether has a fairly pronounced narcotic effect. The drug acts on the central nervous system as follows: first on the brain, then on the subcortical region, medulla oblongata and spinal cord. The most important centers of the medulla oblongata are resistant to this anesthetic, so doctors can get deep anesthesia when using it, in which motor spinal reflexes will be completely absent.

If there is an overdose of ether, then there is a rapid decrease in blood pressure and breathing may stop. Deep anesthesia can be achieved at a substance level of 140 mg%. On the other hand, at 200 mg%, quite serious negative reactions of the body to the substance occur.

Method of using the anesthetic

Diethyl and ether in general is used for anesthesia in any surgical interventions = operations, regardless of complexity and duration. It is possible to carry out mask, mononarcosis with ether or combined multicomponent intubation anesthesia. It all depends on the skill of the anesthesiologist.

An anesthetic agent is used for analgesia: in a semi-open system in an inhaled mixture 2-4 vol. % ether anesthetic has a supportive effect and helps to turn off consciousness. At 5-8%, superficial anesthesia is achieved, at 10-12% - deep anesthesia. To put the patient to sleep, a large concentration (20-25%) is often required. When using this tool, anesthesia is relatively safe, fairly easy to manage.

There is a good relaxation of the skeletal muscles. When compared with cyclopropane, chloroform, halothane, the ether does not affect the sensitivity of the heart muscle to norepinephrine and adrenaline.

At the same time, putting patients to sleep with it is rather painful and lengthy (often 15-20 minutes). Approximately half an hour after the completion of the anesthetic supply, awakening occurs. The depression that is usually observed after such anesthesia can last for a couple of hours.

To reduce reflex reactions, the anticholinergic drug atropine must be administered to patients before the procedure. To reduce arousal, ether anesthesia is often used only after induction of barbiturate anesthesia. In some countries and hospitals, anesthesia is started with nitrous oxide and then maintained with ether.

Recent studies show that the use of muscle relaxants (muscle relaxants) during the procedure can not only improve muscle relaxation, but also significantly reduce the amount of anesthetic required to maintain anesthesia.

Side effects

This anesthetic is known for its side effects, among which are:

• Vapors of the drug irritate the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract. This causes an increase in the secretion of the bronchial glands and an increase in salivation;
• Often at the beginning of the procedure after the administration of the anesthetic, there is a spasm of the larynx;
• An increase in blood pressure, tachycardia is observed, which is associated with an increase in the concentration of adrenaline and norepinephrine in the blood;
• After the operation, patients often experience vomiting, respiratory depression;
• Due to irritation of the respiratory mucosa, bronchopneumonia may well begin to develop.

Contraindications for use

Of course, a drug that has such an extensive list of side effects has a lot of contraindications for use as anesthesia:

• Acute inflammatory diseases of the lungs and respiratory tract.
• Severe forms of renal and hepatic insufficiency.
• Operations requiring the use of an electric knife or electrocoagulation.
• Myasthenia gravis and adrenal insufficiency.
• Convulsions associated with ether anesthesia in history.

As noted above, an overdose of the drug is extremely dangerous.

Benefits of ether pain relief:

• Sufficient narcotic power.
• Large range from therapeutic to toxic dose.
• In concentrations that are sufficient for the operation (at the level of anesthesia III1 - III2)), it does not inhibit the functions of the circulatory organs and stimulates breathing.
• Can be used without special equipment with simple devices.
• Ability to use air instead of oxygen.

Flaws:

• Flammability and explosion hazard.
• Unpleasant for the patient long periods of introduction and withdrawal from anesthesia with a pronounced period of excitation.
• Irritant effect on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, excessive secretion of saliva and mucus and, as a result, spasm of the larynx.
• Nausea and vomiting are often observed in the postoperative period.
• Metabolism disorder.

Why it is considered curative, read in another article.

I created this project to tell you about anesthesia and anesthesia in simple language. If you received an answer to your question and the site was useful to you, I will be glad to support it, it will help to further develop the project and compensate for the costs of its maintenance.

Ethers are products of substitution of the hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group of alcohols or phenols by the carboxylic radical R: R1-O-R2. Diethyl ether - formula H3C-O-CH3. Ethers are characterized by hydrocarbon chain isomerism and metamerism. The first is due to the branching of the hydrocarbon chain. Metamerism is a type of isomerism in which two or more ethers have the same molecular formula, but at the same time a different molecular structure due to different radicals on both sides of the oxygen "bridge".

Diethyl ether: obtaining

Esters are obtained synthetically (they do not occur in nature in a free state). In order to synthesize esters, several methods can be used: with the help of mineral acids, the interaction of alcoholates with halogen alkyls. Dimethyl, as well as methyl ethyl ethers, have a gaseous state, the next few representatives are solutions, higher ones are solids. Ethers are poorly soluble in water, but well in and the average representatives (diethyl ether, propyl and dipropyl ethers) are excellent organic solvents. they vary depending on Diethyl ether mixes well with alcohol, chloroform, benzene, essential oils, and also with fatty oils. If the storage conditions of the ether are violated, toxic and explosive compounds - hydroperoxides - are formed in it.

Diethyl ether is used in medicine. It is used for inhalation anesthesia. This type of anesthesia is characterized by a pronounced stage of excitation (cardiac activity increases, vascular tone increases, excretion of catecholamines is activated, the concentration of glucose, pyruvic and lactic acids in the blood increases, secretory and motor functions of the digestive tract are inhibited). You should know that when using this type of ether, anesthesia occurs slowly, and very often you have to observe strong excitement and motor activity. In general, anesthesia has a multifaceted effect on the human body (muscle-relaxing, analgesic and narcotic).

The local effect of the ether is manifested in the form of irritation of the nerve endings, as a result of which the patient feels a cooling effect. In this regard, sometimes it is used orally to regulate motor and subcutaneously - for reflex excitation of respiration and improve blood circulation. When inhaled, ether vapors irritate the respiratory tract, which first causes reflex inhibition of breathing, after which it activates the secretion of the bronchial glands. For the first time, diethyl ether was used for inhalation anesthesia by the outstanding Russian surgeon N.I. Pirogov, the founder of military field surgery, during the Crimean War (1853-1856).

Diethyl ether is easily absorbed by the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, however, full anesthesia occurs a little later compared to chloroform. The narcotic effect is manifested only when 5-8% of the mixture of ether vapors is inhaled, and complete anesthesia occurs within 30 minutes when 10% of the mixture is inhaled. The narcotic effect of the drug is manifested in a concentration of 110 to 150 mg per 100 ml of blood, paralysis of the respiratory center occurs at 200 mg / 100 ml of blood. The overall toxicity of the ether is negligible. Awakening after anesthesia occurs 20-40 minutes after the cessation of ether inhalation, however, the body returns to normal only after a few hours. Ether is excreted through the respiratory tract and through the kidneys. Approximately 50% of its total amount is excreted from the body in the first 30-60 minutes after the end of anesthesia. It should be noted that some diethyl ether hydrolysis products can be localized in triglycerides and other lipids for up to several days.

In the modern world, you need to constantly develop, learn something new, you can not stand still. However, for unknown reasons, many understand development as just chasing iPhone models, mastering emerging and existing social networks, watching videos (in most cases, absolutely useless) or studying only certain topics. Hardly many non-chemists can say what sulfuric ether is. Or talk about its properties. And who knows where this substance is used? Why is sulfuric ether called that way? Unfortunately, only a few can answer all these questions. What exactly is ether? What is the formula, properties and application of sulfuric ether?

Classes of compounds called "Ether"

Initially, all classes of compounds related to ethers were called ethers, there was no division into three groups that exist today:

• Ethers are a class of compounds in which there is oxygen between two hydrocarbon radicals, that is, both radicals have bonds with the same oxygen. The best known representative of this class is ethyl ether.
• Esters - this is the name of derivatives of carboxylic and mineral acids (the so-called hydroxy acids), in which in the molecule instead of the hydroxyl group (-OH) of the acidic function there is an alcohol residue. Of course, the definition is complex and incomprehensible, the general formula of such compounds is: R-C (= O) - R. Representatives are ethyl acetate, butyl butyrate, benzyl formate.
• Polyesters are a class of macromolecular compounds. They are obtained as a result of the polycondensation of polybasic acids, that is, they contain two or more hydrogen atoms. For example, hydrochloric acid - HCl - monobasic acid, nitric - HNO 3 - too. But sulfuric - H 2 SO 4 - and phosphoric - H 3 PO 4 - are polybasic (sulfuric is dibasic, phosphoric is three), as are their aldehydes with polyhydric alcohols (these alcohols have two or more hydroxyl -OH groups).

What is sulfuric ether?

It is not known for certain where, when, how and by whom diethyl ether was first obtained. And what about this substance? Yes, it’s just that sulfuric ether has several names, including ethyl ether. Ethoxyethane (another name) is a simple ether, the molecule of which consists of two ethyl groups (-C 2 H 5) and oxygen, to which both radicals (ethyl groups) are associated. It is not known for certain when and by whom it was first received - there are several points of view on this issue. There are suggestions that in the ninth century, Jabir ibn Hayyan was the first to obtain diethyl ether. But it is also possible that it was not until 1275 that the Catalan missionary Raymond Lull was able to become a pioneer in the synthesis of ethoxyethane. The substance belongs to aliphatic ethers (that is, it does not have aromatic bonds).

How to get

The name of sulfuric ether is closely related to the method of obtaining, which was mastered in the Middle Ages. We are talking about the distillation of ethyl alcohol and sulfuric acid. But the name was given to this substance, more precisely, it was named ether, only in 1729. Up to this point, you can find such a name as "sweet vitriol oil" (earlier sulfuric acid was called vitriol oil).

However, this is not the only method for the synthesis of diethyl ether. It can be obtained as a by-product from the hydration of ethylene in sulfuric or phosphoric acid. The main part of diethyl ether is formed at the stage of hydrolysis of sulfates. The chemical formula of sulfur ether is as follows: (C 2 H 5) 2 O. The systematic name (according to the international SI system) is 1,1-hydroxy-bis-ethane. The gross formula of the substance is C 4 H 10 O.

Physical properties

Sulfuric ether is a highly volatile liquid that is very mobile. It has no color, it is completely transparent. This liquid has a rather specific smell and a very burning taste. Diethyl ether decomposes under the influence of light, moisture, air. When heated, it also decomposes, as well as from the above factors. As a result of its decomposition, rather toxic substances are formed that irritate the respiratory tract.

Ethyl ether is a flammable liquid, its vapors form explosive mixtures with air and oxygen. When interacting with water, it forms an azeotropic mixture.

Sulfuric ether: chemical properties

For diethyl ether, as a representative of the class of ethers, the properties of this class of compounds are characteristic. As a result of decomposition, it forms aldehydes, peroxides, ketones. When interacting with strong acids, it forms oxonium salts, which are very unstable compounds. With Lewis acids (chemical compounds that are electron pair acceptors), on the contrary, it forms fairly stable compounds. Miscible with ethyl alcohol, benzene in any ratio.

Application of ethoxyethane

There are two main applications of ethyl ester: medicine (pharmacology) and engineering. From the point of view of the effect on the human body, diethyl ether is a general anesthetic, that is, it is used as an anesthetic, an anesthetic. During the preparatory operations for filling (dental practice), "holes" in the teeth from caries and root canals are used locally. Surgeons, on the other hand, use ethoxyethane as an inhalation anesthesia: the patient inhales ether vapors, as a result of which the central nervous system is “immobilized”. This effect is completely gone.

Sulfuric ether has also been used as a solvent. We are talking about the technical field of application. It can also be used as a coolant, much less often acts as a refrigerant. It is used as one of the fuel components in model aircraft engines of compression type.

Alkylsulfuric acids (esters of sulfuric acid)

Alkyl sulfuric acids are one of the most important representatives of esters of inorganic acids (mineral), which are of no small importance in the field of synthesis of organic compounds. Ester formula common to these compounds, representatives of the most significant are an interesting topic for discussion. So, the general formula of alkylsulfuric acids is as follows: R-CH 2 -O-SO 2 -OH. These substances are quite simple to obtain - they are easily formed by the interaction of sulfuric acid with alcohols. During the reaction, water is also released. The most important representatives of this class of compounds are the esters of methyl (methylsulfuric acid) and ethyl (ethylsulfuric acid) alcohols.

conclusions

So, sulfuric ether is an aliphatic ether, which is a clear, colorless liquid with a peculiar odor and a burning taste. It is obtained from ethyl alcohol when it is exposed to acids (in particular sulfuric). It is used in medicine and technology.

1 liter

Typical aliphatic ether.
Widely used as a solvent.
First obtained in the Middle Ages.

Chemical formula C₄H₁₀O

Melting temperature-116.3°C

Boiling temperature 34.65°C

Russian name

diethyl ether

Latin name of the substance Diethyl ether

Aether diaethylicus (genus. Aetheris diaethylici)

chemical name
1,1-hydroxy-bis-ethane

Gross formula

Characteristics of the substance Diethyl ether

Acetic acid ethyl ester is a typical aliphatic ether.
Molecular weight = 74.1 grams per mole.
The substance is also called: ethyl, sulfuric ether.
It is a colorless liquid, mobile and very transparent, has a specific smell and taste.
The substance is poorly soluble in water, forms an azeotropic mixture with it.
Freely miscible with benzene, fatty oils, ethyl alcohol.
The compound is volatile and highly flammable, explosive when combined with oxygen or air.
The drug for anesthesia contains about 96-98% of the substance, the density of the medical ester is 0.715.
The product boils at 35 degrees Celsius.

Structural formula of Diethyl Ether:

CH3-CH2-O-CH2-CH3

The substance has homologues and isomers.
An isomer of diethyl ether is: methylpropyl (CH3-CH2-CH2-O-CH3) and methyl isopropyl ethers .
The formula of propionic acid ethyl ester is: С5Н10О2.
The chemical formula of ethyl acetate is: CH3-COO-CH2-CH3.

The substance decomposes on exposure to heat, air and light, producing toxic aldehydes, ketones and peroxides.
Also, the compound has all the chemical properties that are characteristic of ethers, forms oxonium salts and complex compounds.

Obtaining diethyl ether

The substance can be synthesized by the action of acid catalysts on ethyl alcohol. For example, Diethyl Ether is obtained by distilling sulfuric acid and ethylene at high temperatures (about 140-150 degrees). The compound may also be formed as a by-product in the hydration of ethylene with acetic or sulfuric acid at appropriate pressure and temperature.

• The tool has been widely used in medicine;
• used as a solvent for cellulose nitrates in the production of smokeless vice, synthetic and natural resins, alkaloids;
• in the production of fuel for model aircraft engines;
• applied to gasoline internal combustion engines at low temperature;
• the substance is used in the processing of nuclear fuel as an extractant for the separation of plutonium and its fission products, uranium from ore, and so on.
  

Where and how to buy Diethyl ether?

Buy Diethyl ether 1 liter, as well as laboratory glassware and reagents wholesale and retail in Moscow
You can in our online store.
We have a fairly wide range of this type of product at affordable prices.
You can also buy from us.
The office and warehouse are located on the same territory, which significantly speeds up the order processing process.