A hydration reaction is a chemical reaction where a hydrogen and hydroxyl ion is attached to a carbon in a carbon double bond. Generally, one reactant (usually an alkene or alkyne) reacts with water to yield ethanol, isopropanol, or 2-butanol (all alcohols) are a product.
Formula and Example
The general formula for a hydration reaction is:
RRC=CH2 in acid → RRC(-OH)-CH3
An example is the hydration reaction of ethylene oxide to produce ethylene glycol:
C2H4O + H2O → HO-CH2CH2-OH