Question

Ethers on hydrolysis gives:
A. esters
B. alcohols
C. aldehydes
D. alkanes

Answer 1

Hint:During the hydrolysis, the water molecule breaks the bond between the molecule of the reactant and delivers its hydrogen ion and hydroxide ion to the reactant to form the product.

Complete answer:Hydrolysis is a reaction where a water molecule acts as one of the reactants and breaks the bond of another reactant to form the product.
Different groups form different products on reacting with water.
Ether is a functional group with general formula R-O-R where R is the alkyl group. In this functional group the oxygen atom is attached with the two alkyl or aryl groups.
The ethers can be further divided into symmetrical ether and asymmetric ether depending on the alkyl group attached. If the same alkyl groups are attached to the both sides of the oxygen atom then it is called symmetrical ether if different alkyl groups are attached to the both sides of oxygen atom then it is called as asymmetrical ether.
The general reaction for hydrolysis of ether is shown below.
$R - O - R + {H_2}O \to R - OH + R - OH$
Example: Hydrolysis of diethyl ether is shown below.
${C_2}{H_5} - O - {C_2}{H_5} + {H_2}O \to {C_2}{H_5}OH + {C_2}{H_5}OH$
In this reaction, the breaking of the bond of diethyl ether takes place in the presence of water where two molecules of ethanol are formed.
Thus, Ethers on hydrolysis gives alcohol.
Therefore, the correct option is B.

Note:The hydrolysis reaction can take place in two ways one is acid catalyzed and one is based catalyzed. In acid catalyzed reaction the lone pair present in the oxygen atom attacks the hydrogen ion of the water and in base catalyzed reaction the lone pair present in the oxygen atom of hydroxide ion attacks the carbon.