karboksylatjon

Karboksylatjon, also known as carboxylation, is the chemical process by which a carboxyl group (-COOH) is introduced into an organic substrate, typically using carbon dioxide (CO2) as the carbon source. This transformation can convert relatively simple molecules into carboxylic acids or enable the installation of a carboxyl group at specific positions in a molecule.

In biological systems, carboxylation is a fundamental metabolic and biosynthetic step. Key examples include the activity of RuBisCO, which fixes CO2 in photosynthesis by carboxylating ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate to form 3-phosphoglycerate, and acetyl‑CoA carboxylase, which carboxylates acetyl‑CoA to generate malonyl‑CoA for fatty acid synthesis. These enzymatic processes typically operate under ambient conditions and are tightly integrated into cellular metabolism.

Chemical carboxylation covers a range of laboratory and industrial methods. Classic approaches use carbon dioxide with organometallic reagents (for example Grignard or organolithium reagents) to form carboxylic acids after acidic workup. Modern methods include transition-metal-catalyzed C–H or C–X carboxylation with CO2, often under elevated CO2 pressure or in electrochemical or photoredox setups. These strategies aim to convert inexpensive CO2 into value-added carboxylated products and to help integrate CO2 into sustainable synthesis.

Applications of karboksylatjon span pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials science, where carboxyl groups can modulate reactivity, polarity, and biological activity. Limitations include selectivity, CO2 solubility, and the need for specialized catalysts or conditions.