Final answer:
The oxidation of an alkene through the addition of OH includes converting a double bond to an alcohol via an addition reaction and can be further processed into other functional groups. This transformation constitutes an oxidation reaction, where more bonds are formed with oxygen, demonstrating an increase in the compound's oxidation state.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process of adding OH to a double bond to oxidize an alkene involves an addition reaction, where the alkene's double bond is converted to a single bond through the addition of a reactant. Alkenes can be transformed into alcohols, which are organic compounds with a hydroxyl group -OH bonded to a carbon atom. This addition reaction represents an oxidation step because it results in the increase in the number of bonds the carbon atom makes with more electronegative atoms (oxygen in the -OH group). Typically, oxidation can occur under various conditions, one example being the oxidative cleavage of alkenes using agents like periodate (IO4-), which can break the C-C double bond and form two carbonyl groups, further oxidized to carboxylic acids or other functional groups.
For instance, the transformation of a primary alcohol to an aldehyde and further oxidation to a carboxylic acid exemplifies such oxidations. During the oxidation of aldehydes and ketones, a nucleophilic addition reaction occurs where a hydride ion (H-) is added to the electrophilic carbon, thereby reducing the C=O to a C-OH group. The addition polymerization process begins with initiation by a free radical, followed by propagation where the reactive center interacts with additional monomer molecules to form long polymer chains.