Addition of Water Alkenes can be converted to alcohols. It is the reverse reaction of the dehydration of alcohols to give alkenes +H20= H OH The principle of microscopic reversibility states that a forward reaction and a reverse reaction taking place under the same conditions must follow the same reaction pathway in microscopic detail (Logically,it seems sensible that the lowest energy T.S.'s and intermediates for the forward reaction would be the same for the reverse reaction but in the opposite order). So it is no surprise that the mechanism for hydration of alkenes is identical to that of dehydration of alcohols,but in the reverse order of steps. Ch08 Reacns of Alkenes (landscape) Page 8 Ch08 Reacns of Alkenes (landscape) Page 8 Addition of Water Alkenes can be converted to alcohols. It is the reverse reaction of the dehydration of alcohols to give alkenes. The principle of microscopic reversibility states that a forward reaction and a reverse reaction taking place under the same conditions must follow the same reaction pathway in microscopic detail. (Logically, it seems sensible that the lowest energy T.S.’s and intermediates for the forward reaction would be the same for the reverse reaction but in the opposite order). So it is no surprise that the mechanism for hydration of alkenes is identical to that of dehydration of alcohols, but in the reverse order of steps. H OH + H2O