A condensation reaction is a chemical reaction between two compounds in which one of the products is water, ethanol, acetic acid, hydrogen sulfide or ammonia. The condensation reaction is also known as a dehydration reaction. This type of reaction produces additional product and water in the presence of a catalyst or under acidic or basic conditions.
The opposite of the condensation reaction is the hydrolytic reaction.
Examples of condensation reactions
Reactions that produce acid anhydride are condensation reactions. For example: acetic acid (CH3COOH) forms acetic anhydride ((CH3CO) 2O) and water by a condensation reaction
2 CH3COOH → (CH3CO) 2O + H2O
Condensation reactions are also involved in the formation of many polymers. Biosynthetic reactions form peptide bonds between amino acids in organisms and are involved in the formation of fatty acids.
Examples of said condensation reactions include aldol condensation, Dieckman condensation, Clasien condensation and Knoevenagel condensation reaction.
