What type of reaction is involved in the formation of alkanols from alkenes?
Answer Details
The reaction involved in the formation of alkanols from alkenes is called addition reaction.
In an addition reaction, two reactants combine together to form a larger product molecule. In this case, the alkene (a hydrocarbon with a carbon-carbon double bond) reacts with a molecule of water (H2O) to form an alkanol (an alcohol).
During the reaction, the carbon-carbon double bond in the alkene breaks, and each carbon atom bonds to a hydrogen atom from the water molecule.
This results in the formation of a single bond between the carbon atoms and a bond between each carbon atom and a hydrogen atom.
The remaining oxygen and hydrogen atoms from the water molecule form a hydroxyl group (-OH) on one of the carbon atoms. This addition reaction is a way to introduce an -OH group and create an alcohol from an alkene.
It is important to note that alkanols are a specific type of alcohol where the hydroxyl group is attached to a saturated carbon atom (a carbon atom bonded to four other atoms).
Therefore, the correct answer is addition reaction.