Saturated and unsaturated compounds

A saturated compound is a chemical compound (or ion) that resists addition reactions, such as hydrogenation, oxidative addition, and the binding of a Lewis base. The term is used in many contexts and classes of chemical compounds. Overall, saturated compounds are less reactive than unsaturated compounds. Saturation is derived from the Latin word saturare, meaning 'to fill'. An unsaturated compound is also a chemical compound (or ion) that attracts reduction reactions, such as dehydrogenation and .