Synthetic route to aromatic ether:

As our last instance, we shall refer the synthesis of aromatic ether. Here an ethoxy group is linked to the aromatic ring. The ethoxy group cannot be useful directly to an aromatic ring, thus we have to ?nd a way of acquiring it from another functional group. Alkylation of a phenol group would provide the needed ether, but a phenol group cannot be applied straight to the ring either. Though, we can acquire the phenol from an amino group that in turn can be acquired from a nitro group. The nitro group can be applied directly to the ring and thus the synthesis includes a nitration, reduction, and conversion of the amino group to a diazonium salt, hydrolysis, and lastly an alkylation.

Figure: Possible synthetic route to aromatic ether.