Currently Studying in high school, I encountered a reaction in organic chemistry. I got a reaction in which alcohol(ethanol) was dehydrated to form unsaturated hydrocarbon(ethene) and water. I wanted to know that can the opposite of this also occur? That is can we form alcohol from unsaturated hydrocarbon? If yes, what is the process to do so?
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1Review the guide How to ask and Asking FAQs to prevent clarification requests, objections, downvoting or closure. – Poutnik Nov 24 '23 at 07:35
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2See also chem.libretexts.org - Case_Study - The_Manufacture_of_Ethanol_from_Ethene – Poutnik Nov 24 '23 at 09:21
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There is a reaction.
The reaction which is listed by you is called the dehydration reaction. It is used to prepare alkenes.
$\ce{CH3-CH2-OH ->[conc. H2SO4]CH2=CH2}$
If you are from India you will study this in Hydrocarbons in class XI and Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers from class XII (The reverse reaction is based on this chapter).
It is the same catalyst, only the reaction is reversed.
By Le Chatelier's principle, the byproduct $\ce{H2O}$ is removed by the concentrated acid used, thus increasing yield of alkene or alcohol (depending on what you want to prepare).
SOURCES: NCERT - Chemistry, Classes XI and XII
Harikrishnan M
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