Science Common Sense
1773 - What are the important reactions of common organic compounds.
Let's break it down to the most common organic compounds and their important reactions:
- Alkanes (saturated hydrocarbons, e.g., methane, ethane):
- Combustion: Burning with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water.
Halogenation: Replacing hydrogen atoms with halogen atoms (e.g., chlorine, bromine).
Alkenes (unsaturated hydrocarbons with one or more double bonds, e.g., ethene, propene):
- Addition reactions: Adding atoms or groups across the double bond, e.g., hydrogenation (addition of hydrogen), halogenation (addition of halogens), or addition of water (to form alcohols).
Polymerization: Combining multiple alkene molecules to form a long-chain molecule.
Alkynes (unsaturated hydrocarbons with one or more triple bonds, e.g., ethyne):
- Addition reactions: Adding atoms or groups across the triple bond, e.g., hydrogenation or addition of halogens.
Polymerization: Combining multiple alkyne molecules to form a long-chain molecule.
Alcohols (compounds with a hydroxyl group, e.g., methanol, ethanol):
- Oxidation: Converting the alcohol into a carbonyl compound (aldehyde or ketone) or a carboxylic acid.
Hydrolysis: Breaking the molecule into smaller pieces using water.
Carboxylic acids (compounds with a carboxyl group, e.g., acetic acid, citric acid):
- Neutralization: Reacting with a base to form a salt and water.
Esterification: Combining with an alcohol to form an ester and water.
Amines (compounds with an amino group, e.g., ammonia, dimethylamine):
- Acid-base reaction: Reacting with an acid to form a salt.
- Alkylation: Adding an alkyl group to the amino group.
These reactions are some of the most important ones for each group, but remember that there are many variations and exceptions in organic chemistry.