Dhanjal Sandeep, Kitzinger Katelyn M, Jarema Dennis, Johnson Jeffrey S
J Spec Oper Med. 2025 Jun 1;25(2):80-83. doi: 10.55460/RDF5-XHM5.
Clinicians face numerous challenges when providing effective anesthesia in the setting of humanitarian crisis or armed conflict. Anesthetic supply limitations often stand as a critical gap in these environments. Due to its clinical safety profile and relatively simple production, diethyl ether (Et2O) may offer a solution in such situations.
The dehydration of ethanol (EtOH) using an acid-catalyzed reaction was conducted twice. Sulfuric acid was added to a solution of ethanol in a glass flask that was heated to approximately 145 °C, promoting the formation of Et2O and water. At this temperature, Et2O was isolated from the solution through fractional distillation and collected in a flask that was cooled in an ice bath. The distillate was analyzed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy.
Two samples of Et2O were obtained using an acid-promoted dehydration of ethanol. Analysis of the samples using 1H NMR spectroscopy led to the identification of two components, Et2O and EtOH, whose identities were confirmed by comparison of the constituent peaks to known chemical shifts. Integration of the relevant peaks suggested a Et2O purity of approximately 97%.
This proof-of-concept study demonstrates that relatively pure Et2O can feasibly be produced and isolated on a small scale using an acid-catalyzed dehydration reaction with fractional distillation.
在人道主义危机或武装冲突背景下提供有效麻醉时，临床医生面临诸多挑战。麻醉药品供应限制往往是这些环境中的关键缺口。鉴于乙醚（Et2O）的临床安全性和相对简单的生产工艺，在这种情况下它可能提供一种解决方案。
使用酸催化反应对乙醇（EtOH）进行脱水操作进行了两次。将硫酸加入到玻璃烧瓶中的乙醇溶液中，加热至约145°C，促使生成Et2O和水。在此温度下，通过分馏从溶液中分离出Et2O，并收集到置于冰浴中冷却的烧瓶中。使用质子核磁共振（1H NMR）光谱对馏出物进行分析。
通过酸促进的乙醇脱水获得了两个Et2O样品。使用1H NMR光谱对样品进行分析，鉴定出两种成分，Et2O和EtOH，通过将组成峰与已知化学位移进行比较确认了它们的身份。相关峰的积分表明Et2O纯度约为97%。
这项概念验证研究表明，使用酸催化脱水反应和分馏，可以在小规模上可行地生产和分离出相对纯净的Et2O。
