Flexi Says: Oxidation can be defined as the addition of oxygen to a molecule or the removal of hydrogen from a molecule. When an alkane is heated in the presence of an appropriate catalyst, it can be oxidized to the corresponding alkene in a reaction called a dehydrogenation reaction. Two hydrogen atoms are removed in the process. Oxidation reactions in organic chemistry often involve the addition of oxygen to a compound, which changes the particular functional group of that compound. The following sequence shows how methane can be oxidized first to methanol, then to methanal, then to methanoic acid, and finally to carbon dioxide. The oxidation of an alcohol can produce either an aldehyde or a ketone.
