Question:

Write the reaction involved in Kolbe's reaction.

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In Kolbe's reaction (Kolbe-Schmitt reaction), sodium phenoxide is heated with carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) under pressure. The CO 2 adds a -COOH group at the ortho position.
Updated On: Jun 16, 2026
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Solution and Explanation

In Kolbe's reaction (Kolbe-Schmitt reaction), sodium phenoxide is heated with carbon dioxide (CO2) under pressure. The CO2 adds a -COOH group at the ortho position. After treatment with acid the product is salicylic acid (2-hydroxybenzoic acid).

Sodium phenoxide (C6H5ONa) + CO2 → sodium salicylate → (after H+) salicylic acid.

This happens because the phenoxide ion is a strongly activated ring; the oxygen pushes electron density into the ring so it can attack the weak electrophile CO2.
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