Why are carboxylic acid, amine and ketone soluble in diethyl ether? Examine the structures of each solute

Answer 1

Diethyl ether, (C₂H₅)₂O or Et₂O, has a dipole momentum due to the bond angels of oxygen and the placement of lone pairs. The oxygen is sp³ hybridized (it is bound to four neighbors, 2C and 2 one pairs), which causes the bond angles to be ∼110°. Oxygen is more electronegative than the Et groups, and there is a net dipole moment. This dipole moment allows diethyl ether to dissolve polar compounds.

Ethers do not have an O—H bond, and therefore cannot serve as hydrogen donors, because of this, ether molecules cannot bond with one another. Nonpolar compounds are usually soluble in diethyl ether than in alcohols, because ethers do not have a hydrogen bonding network that would have to be broken up to dissolve the solute.

Carboxylic acid (COOH) is polar, C=O bond and C-O-H

Amine (NH) weakly polar

Ketone (C=O) polar