Kolbe-Schmitt reaction

The Kolbe-Schmitt reaction (named after Adolph Wilhelm Hermann Kolbe and J.Schmitt) is a carboxylation chemical reaction and proceeds by heating sodium phenolate (the sodium salt of phenol) with carbon dioxide under pressure (100 atm, 125°C), then treating it with sulfuric acid. The reaction product is an aromatic hydroxy acid of which salicylic acid is a notable example.

References

• H. Kolbe, Ann. 113, 125 (1860); R. Schmitt, J. Prakt. Chem. [2] 31, 397 (1885)
• The Kolbe-Schmitt Reaction Alan S. Lindsey, Harold Jeskey; Chem. Rev.; 1957; 57(4); 583-620.