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.