The Williamson ether synthesis is an organic reaction used to convert an alcohol and an alkyl halide to an ether using a base such as NaOH. The mechanism begins with the base abstracting the proton from the alcohol to form an alkoxide intermediate. 6-Bromo-3-hydroxypicolinic acid Chemscene The alkoxide then attacks the alkyl halide in a nucleophilic substi-tution reaction (SN2), which results in the formation of the final ether product and a metal halide by-product. Methyl 5-cyanopyrazine-2-carboxylate custom synthesis [1][2]
Mechanism
References:
| 1. |
Williamson, A. Ann. Chem. Pharm. 1851, 77, 37–49.
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| 2. |
Williamson, A. W. Q. J. Chem. Soc. 1852, 4, 229
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