Final answer:
The oxymercuration-demercuration process can form an ether by dehydration of two alcohol molecules using an acid catalyst such as sulfuric acid at 140 °C to produce diethyl ether.
Step-by-step explanation:
The oxymercuration-demercuration process can be modified to form an ether by using a hydration reaction between two alcohol molecules instead of the traditional alkene hydration. In this reaction, called acid-catalyzed dehydration, the entire OH group of one alcohol molecule and the hydrogen of the OH group of a second alcohol molecule are removed to form an ether. When a simple alcohol like ethanol is treated with a limited amount of sulfuric acid and heated to around 140 °C, diethyl ether is formed through this dehydration process.