Question

Cleavage of an ether usually requires a strong acid that has a conjugate base which is a strong nucleophile, such as...? Depending on the type of alkyl group, the acid reaction with the halide ion produces what?

Answer 1

Cleavage of an ether requires a strong acid with a conjugate base that is a strong nucleophile, such as hydrochloric acid. The reaction with the alkyl group produces an alcohol and an alkyl halide.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order to cleave an ether, a strong acid is required. The strong acid should have a conjugate base that acts as a strong nucleophile. One example of such an acid is hydrochloric acid (HCl) which has a conjugate base of chloride ion (Cl-). When a strong acid reacts with an ether, it produces an alcohol and an alkyl halide. The specific alkyl halide produced depends on the type of alkyl group present in the ether.