The Kolbe electrolysis or Kolbe reaction is an
organic reaction named after
Hermann Kolbe.
[1] The Kolbe reaction is formally a
decarboxylative
dimerisation of two
carboxylic acids (or
carboxylate ions). The overall reaction is:
If a mixture of two different carboxylates are used, all combinations of them are generally seen as the organic product structures:
The reaction mechanism involves a two-stage radical process: electrochemical decarboxylation gives a radical intermediate, which combine to form a covalent bond. [2] As an example, electrolysis of acetic acid yields ethane and carbon dioxide:
Another example is the synthesis of 2,7-dimethyl-2,7-dinitrooctane from 4-methyl-4-nitrovaleric acid: [3]