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Diethyl ether has an ether functional group (r-o-r'), which is generally more reactive than the hydroxyl group (r-oh) found in ethanol.
Accepted Answer
While diethyl ether does contain an ether functional group (R-O-R') and ethanol contains a hydroxyl group (R-OH), the statement that ethers are generally more reactive than alcohols is incorrect. Alcohols are actually more reactive than ethers due to the presence of the hydrogen atom attached to the oxygen in the hydroxyl group. This hydrogen can participate in hydrogen bonding and makes alcohols more susceptible to reactions like oxidation, nucleophilic attack, and dehydration.
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