Which of the following is the correct method for synthesising methyl-t-butyl ether and why ?
i. `(CH_(3))_(3)CBr+NaOMe rarr`
ii. `CH_(3)Br+NaO-t-Bu rarr`

Options

A. method 1 should be used
B. method 2 should be used
C. any of the two methods can be used
D. none of the method can be used

Answer

To determine the correct method for synthesizing methyl tert-butyl ether, let's analyze both methods provided in the question step by step.

### Step 1: Understanding the Structure of Methyl tert-butyl Ether
Methyl tert-butyl ether has the structure:
- Methyl group (–OCH₃) attached to a tert-butyl group (–C(CH₃)₃).
This can be represented as:
```
CH3
|
CH3 - C - O - CH3
|
CH3
```

### Step 2: Analyzing Method 1
The first method is:
1. **Reaction**: (CH₃)₃CBr + NaOMe → ?
2. **Reactants**:
- (CH₃)₃CBr is tert-butyl bromide (a tertiary alkyl halide).
- NaOMe is sodium methoxide (a strong base).

**Mechanism**:
- Tertiary alkyl halides tend to undergo elimination reactions rather than substitution due to steric hindrance.
- In this case, the base (NaOMe) will likely abstract a proton from the tert-butyl bromide, leading to the formation of an alkene (2-methylpropene) rather than the desired ether.

**Conclusion**: This method will not yield methyl tert-butyl ether, as it leads to elimination and the formation of an alkene.

### Step 3: Analyzing Method 2
The second method is:
1. **Reaction**: CH₃Br + NaO-t-Bu → ?
2. **Reactants**:
- CH₃Br is methyl bromide (a primary alkyl halide).
- NaO-t-Bu is sodium tert-butoxide (a strong base).

**Mechanism**:
- Here, the methyl bromide is a primary alkyl halide, which is favorable for a nucleophilic substitution reaction (Williamson Ether Synthesis).
- The tert-butoxide ion (O-t-Bu) will act as a nucleophile and attack the carbon atom of methyl bromide, displacing the bromide ion and forming methyl tert-butyl ether.

**Conclusion**: This method will successfully yield methyl tert-butyl ether.

### Final Conclusion
Based on the analysis:
- **Method 1** does not yield the desired product (alkene formation).
- **Method 2** successfully synthesizes methyl tert-butyl ether.

Thus, the correct method for synthesizing methyl tert-butyl ether is **Method 2**.