Diethyl ether
Diethyl ether, also known as ethoxyethane, ethyl ether, sulfuric ether, or simply ether, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula (C
2H
5)
2O. It is a colorless, highly volatile flammable liquid. It is commonly used as a solvent and was once used as a general anesthetic. It has narcotic properties and has been known to cause temporary dependence, the only symptom of which is the will to consume more, sometimes referred to as etheromania.
History
The compound may have been created by either Jābir ibn Hayyān in the 8th century or Ramon Llull in 1275, although there is no contemporary evidence of this. It was first synthesized in 1540 by Valerius Cordus, who called it "sweet oil of vitriol" (oleum dulce vitrioli) — the name reflects the fact that it is obtained by distilling a mixture of ethanol and sulfuric acid (then known as oil of vitriol) — and noted some of its medicinal properties. At about the same time, Paracelsus discovered ether's analgesic properties in chickens. The name ether was given to the substance in 1729 by August Sigmund Frobenius.
