Esters and Ethers
The major difference between Ester and Ether is added in the table below,
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Difference Between Ether and Ester |
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Ester |
Ether |
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Ester do not have symmetrical structures due to the presence of the carbonyl group |
Ethers can have symmetrical structures if both alkyl groups on either side of the oxygen atom in an ether group are similar |
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Esters have the functional group -COO |
Ethers have the functional group -O- |
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Ester have polar bonds |
Ether have both polar or nonpolar bonds |
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A double bond between carbon and oxygen atom |
A single bond between carbon and oxygen atom |
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Derived from carboxylic acids |
Derived from alcohol |
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Esters that have fragrant odours are used as a constituent pf perfumes, essential oils, food flavorings, cosmetics |
They are relatively unreactive, and as a result they are useful as solvents for fats, oils, waxes, perfumes, resins, dyes, gums and hydrocarbons |
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Ester boiling point is 57°C |
Ether boiling point is 34.6°C |
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Ester melting point is -98°C |
Ether melting point is -116.3°C |
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Example: Ethyl Propanoate |
Example: Pentabromodiphenyl Ether |
Now let’s learn about Ester and Ether in brief.
Ester and Ether: Definition and Differences
Ester and Ether are functional groups that classify organic chemical compounds. The basic difference between ether and ester is in their atomic structure. In an ester, there are two oxygen and a carbon atom whereas in ether, there are only one Oxygen and two Carbon atoms.
The image of the structure of Ether and Easter is shown in the image below.
In this article, we will learn about, the Ether Definition, Ester Definition, their Differences Between Easters and Ethers, and others in detail.