Types of organic reactions

Types of organic reactions

Types of Organic Reactions

Addition Reactions

  • Addition reactions are typical of unsaturated organic compounds, like alkenes and alkynes.
  • In these reactions, two or more molecules combine to form a larger one, with no other product.
  • A standard addition reaction is the reaction of alkenes with hydrogen halides (H-X, X is halogen).

Elimination Reactions

  • Elimination reactions are the reverse of addition reactions, where a molecule in a compound is removed, creating a new double bond.
  • The simplest example of this reaction is the dehydration of alcohols to form alkenes.
  • The dehydration of an alcohol involves heating the alcohol in the presence of a strong acid, often sulfuric or phosphoric acid.

Substitution Reactions

  • Substitution reactions involve the replacement of an atom, or a group of atoms, with another atom or group of atoms.
  • They’re common in saturated organic molecules, like alkanes and halogenoalkanes.
  • An example of a substitution reaction is the reaction between methane and chlorine in the presence of UV light.

Oxidation Reactions

  • Oxidation reactions in organic chemistry involve the addition of oxygen or the removal of hydrogen.
  • Alcohols, for instance, can be oxidized to form compounds like aldehydes, ketones and carboxylic acids.
  • For example, primary alcohols are oxidized to aldehydes or carboxylic acids, while secondary alcohols are oxidized to ketones.

Condensation Reactions

  • Condensation reactions occur when two molecules combine to form a larger molecule, often with the elimination of a small molecule such as water or methanol.
  • This type of reaction is common in the formation of esters and amides.
  • It’s also involved in the formation of polymers; for example, the reaction between ethene molecules to form polyethylene.

Polymerization Reactions

  • Polymerization is the process in which small molecules, known as monomers, combine together to form a large chainlike molecule, the polymer.
  • There are two types of polymerization: addition polymerization and condensation polymerization.
  • Polyethylene and polypropylene are examples of polymers formed by addition polymerization, while polyesters and polyamides are examples of polymers formed by condensation polymerization.