The conditions (sulfuric acid and heat) are also conducive to elimination products. Synthesizing ethers via acid-catalyzed condensation reactions has limited usefulness. Primary alcohols will undergo dehydration to ethers at lower temperatures than dehydration to alkenes. Secondary and tertiary alcohols will give predominantly alkenes products at the same temperature primary alcohols condense to give ethers. Primary alcohol condensation to ethers is also only useful when the ether is symmetric. The following question is to demonstrate the mess you would get if you tried to synthesize asymmetric ether via acid-catalyzed dehydration. Explain what two alcohols would you use if your goal was to synthesize butyl hexyls ether via acid-catalyzed dehydration of two alcohols?
Illustrate the skeletal structure of the desired ether with most number of carbons and the undesired ether with the most number of carbons