Diethyl ether on treatment with `Cl_(2)` in presence of sunlight gives

Options

A. Trichlorodiethyl ether
B. Perchlorodiethyl ether
C. Trichloroacetaldehyde
D. 1, 1,4-dichlorodiethyl ether.

Answer

To solve the question regarding the reaction of diethyl ether with chlorine in the presence of sunlight, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Identify the Reactants**:
- The reactant is diethyl ether, which has the chemical formula \(C_2H_5OC_2H_5\).

2. **Understand the Reaction Conditions**:
- The reaction occurs in the presence of chlorine gas (\(Cl_2\)) and sunlight. Sunlight provides the energy needed for the reaction to proceed through a free radical mechanism.

3. **Free Radical Mechanism**:
- In the presence of sunlight, \(Cl_2\) can dissociate into two chlorine radicals (\(Cl\)). These radicals will then react with the hydrogen atoms in diethyl ether.

4. **Substitution of Hydrogen Atoms**:
- Each hydrogen atom in diethyl ether can be replaced by a chlorine atom. Since diethyl ether has a total of 10 hydrogen atoms (5 from each ethyl group), theoretically, all can be replaced.

5. **Formation of Perchlorodiethyl Ether**:
- The complete substitution of all hydrogen atoms leads to the formation of perchlorodiethyl ether, which has the formula \(C_2Cl_5OC_2Cl_5\).

6. **By-products**:
- Along with perchlorodiethyl ether, hydrogen chloride (HCl) is produced as a by-product during the reaction.

7. **Final Product Identification**:
- The main product formed is \(C_2Cl_5OC_2Cl_5\), known as perchlorodiethyl ether.

8. **Conclusion**:
- Therefore, the correct answer to the question is option (b) Perchlorodiethyl ether.

### Final Answer:
The product formed when diethyl ether is treated with \(Cl_2\) in the presence of sunlight is **Perchlorodiethyl ether**.

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