SH1684

Organic Chemistry
Chemical Reactions

1. Combustion of Organic Fuels – Process which converts hydrocarbons, compounds

containing hydrogen and carbon, yielding carbon dioxide and water only as products. This
reaction converts potential energy of fuels into kinetic energy, an obvious example of
oxidation and reduction.

General reaction:
C n H2n+2(g) + (1.5n+0.5) O 2(g) → nCO 2(g) + (n+1) H2 O (g)
Example:
CH4(g) + 2O 2(g) → CO 2(g) + 2H2 O (g)
(Combustion of methane)

2. Addition – Reaction of alkene/alkyne with certain reagents, breaking the multiple bonds of
C-C and forming two new single bonds.
a. Bromination – The double bond of an alkene will undergo an addition reaction with
aqueous bromine to give a dibromo compound.

(Ethene reacts with bromine to give 1,2-dibromoethane)

b. Hydrogenation – Reacting the alkene with hydrogen gas at a high temperature and
high pressure with the catalyst nickel to hasten the reaction.

(Ethene reacts with hydrogen to give ethane)

3. Condensation – Reaction between a dicarboxylic acid with dialcohol or diamine which

yields a polymer and water as the end.

(Reaction of two amino acids to form a peptide bond)

10 Handout 1 *Property of STI

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 SH1684

4. Sapofinication of fats – Saponification means "soap-making" and is a reaction in which a

fat, or oil, is turned into a salt of a carboxylic acid.

• The oil is heated with a concentrated solution of a caustic base, such as sodium hydroxide. The
base breaks down the ester links, forming alcohol groups and carboxylate ion groups on
different molecules.

References:
Chang, R., & Goldsby, K. A. (2013). Chemistry. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Michigan State University. Lipids. (nd). Retrieved from https://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/virttxtjml/lipids.htm on April 17, 2017

10 Handout 1 *Property of STI

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