This is a nitrate ester made by esterification. In this process, glycerols reacts with Nitric Acid under a catalyst of Sulphuric Acid at 300oC to yield an ester complex of glyceryl trinitrate otherwise known as nitroglycerine, and three water molecules. In this process, there has been formation of an ester bond (COO). This production is very crucial for medical purposes. Nitroglycerine is used to relieve angina, a condition when the heart isn’t receiving much oxygen. Also, Nitroglycerine was used in a study with yohimbine/l-arginine combination to see the treatment of erectile dysfunction in males. The metrics used in this study were the male’s systolic and diastolic blood pressures. This study created a correlation between the effects of erectile dysfunction with the inadvertent cause of coronary artery disease. Intravenous Nitroglycerine was used to help in the study with the chemical compositions with arginine.

The above reaction is an example of a Williamson synthesis of an ether. It is one the earlier steps in the reaction mechanism resulting in the octaethylene glycol derivative of 1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptamethyltrisiloxane. Such an initial Williamson synthesis reaction had to be carried out so that later steps in the reaction—that is, ones involving material types not readily accessible—could successfully yield the derivative product. The resultant glycol derivative is an example of a defined surfactant. This particular journal article focused on the correlation between surfactant constituents and the effect on properties such as spreading performance.
The Williamson synthesis involves an SN2 reaction in which a halogen, sulfonyl, or sulfate group is replaced by an alkoxide ion, which can itself be prepared by a reaction of the alcohol with an active metal such as sodium or its hydride (i.e. NaH). The resultant alkoxide salt then reacts with the alkyl halide (must be primary) to produce an ether via the SN2 mechanism.
Other examples of Williamson synthesis of ethers can be found in this same reaction mechanism used to produce the surfactant.