Addition reactions of alkenes
Addition reactions of alkenes (also known as acetalization reactions) are a type of addition reaction and a special case of the general addition reaction. In the general case, two molecules of a compound come together and form a new molecule with a carbocation (a positively charged carbon atom) as the new bond-forming part of the molecule. This new molecule then breaks apart, releasing a molecule of the parent compound and regenerating the carbocation. Addition reactions of alkenes are a special case of this general reaction. Addition reactions of alkenes are a special type of addition reaction that allows the formation of an alkene with the carbon to carbon double bond being in a terminal position. The parent compound and the alkene produced are both cyclic molecules. Common examples of addition reactions of alkenes include the formation of acetalization of ethylene to form ethyl acetate and the formation of allyl alcohol from benzene. In these reactions, the carbocation is stabilized by the formation of a carbocationic intermediate which in turn is stabilized by resonance.