MP Board · Class 12 · Chemistry · Alcohols, Phenols and EthersHow is Kolbe's reaction used to prepare salicylic acid from phenol?

In Kolbe's reaction, sodium phenoxide, obtained by treating phenol with sodium hydroxide, is reacted with carbon dioxide, which acts as a weak electrophile, under a pressure of about 4-7 atmospheres at 400 K, followed by acid hydrolysis. This carboxylation process introduces a carboxylic acid group specifically at the ortho position relative to the phenolic hydroxyl group. The resulting product is 2-hydroxybenzoic acid, commonly known as salicylic acid, which serves as a crucial intermediate for manufacturing aspirin.