--- title: "Grignard reagent + CO₂ → carboxylic acid Template | MolDraw" url: https://www.moldraw.com/templates/grignard-carboxylation/ description: "Grignard reagent + CO₂ → carboxylic acid template: Phenylmagnesium bromide attacks the carbon of CO₂ (dry ice) to give the magnesium carboxylate, which acid…" lang: en publisher: Scidart Academy generated: 2026-11-13 --- [MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/) › [Templates](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/) › [Name reactions](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/name-reactions/) › Grignard reagent + CO₂ → carboxylic acid [Name reactions](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/name-reactions/)Premium # Grignard reagent + CO₂ → carboxylic acid template ![Grignard reagent + CO₂ → carboxylic acid template: Phenylmagnesium bromide attacks the carbon of CO₂ (dry ice) to give the magnesium carboxylate, which acid work-up turns into benzoic acid.](https://www.moldraw.com/templates/grignard-carboxylation.webp) [Edit in MolDraw](https://www.moldraw.com/)Download with Pro Premium template. Preview and edit it free in MolDraw; downloading and exporting it is part of [MolDraw Pro](https://www.moldraw.com/pricing). Phenylmagnesium bromide attacks the carbon of CO₂ (dry ice) to give the magnesium carboxylate, which acid work-up turns into benzoic acid. ## Mechanism step by step Carboxylation with dry ice adds one carbon; acid work-up frees the acid 1. **Addition to CO₂** – The C–Mg bond attacks the CO₂ carbon; a C=O becomes C–O⁻ 2. **Acid work-up** – Aqueous acid protonates the carboxylate ## Key points - Adds one carbon: R–X → R–MgX → R–COOH. It works for aryl, vinyl and tertiary halides, where the nitrile route (SN2 with CN⁻) fails. - The carboxylate salt is negatively charged and unreactive, so a second equivalent does not add (unlike an ester). - The Grignard solution is poured onto excess crushed dry ice, protected from moist air; any water would give benzene instead. - ¹³CO₂ or ¹⁴CO₂ puts an isotope label on the carboxyl carbon only. Drawn with 63 atoms, 7 arrows, 8 shapes – every one editable in MolDraw. ## Sources - [Clayden, Greeves & Warren, Organic Chemistry, 2nd ed., OUP 2012, ch. 9](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780199270293) Textbook - [Kürti & Czakó, Strategic Applications of Named Reactions in Organic Synthesis, Elsevier 2005](https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9780124297852) Textbook ## How to use this template 1. Press **Edit in MolDraw**. The template opens on the canvas of the free MolDraw editor. 2. Change anything: move structures, edit atoms and labels, recolour highlights or delete what you do not need. 3. Add your own structures, arrows and text next to it, or combine several templates on one page. 4. Export the drawing as PNG, SVG or PDF for slides, worksheets, theses and papers. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Grignard reagent + CO₂ → carboxylic acid template free? You can preview the Grignard reagent + CO₂ → carboxylic acid template here and open and edit it in MolDraw for free. Downloading or exporting it is part of MolDraw Pro, together with the other premium templates. ### Can I edit the Grignard reagent + CO₂ → carboxylic acid template? Yes. It opens as an ordinary MolDraw drawing, so every structure, arrow, label and colour can be changed, and you can add your own content around it. ### Is the chemistry checked? Every structure is checked with RDKit and every curly arrow passes MolDraw’s electron-flow audit. The sources used are listed on this page. ### Which name reactions are included? 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