What does carboxylation mean?
Carboxylation is the chemical process by which a carboxyl group — the –COOH functional unit characteristic of organic acids — is introduced into a molecule, most commonly by reaction with carbon dioxide. The word is used almost exclusively in chemistry and biochemistry, appearing both for laboratory reactions and for the enzymatic steps on which life depends. The most famous biological example is the carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate by the enzyme RuBisCO, the reaction that fixes atmospheric carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and thereby supplies the carbon underlying nearly all food chains. In industrial chemistry, named reactions such as the Kolbe–Schmitt carboxylation convert phenoxides into valuable acids like salicylic acid, the precursor of aspirin. Its counterpart is decarboxylation, which removes a carboxyl group and releases carbon dioxide. Though narrow in scope, carboxylation names one of chemistry's most consequential transformations.
nounThe chemical process of introducing a carboxyl group (–COOH) into a molecule or compound, typically by reaction with carbon dioxide.
- The addition of a carboxyl group to an organic compound, especially by reaction with carbon dioxide, as in organic synthesis and biochemistry.
"The enzyme ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase catalyzes the carboxylation that anchors nearly all carbon in the biosphere."
"In the Kolbe–Schmitt reaction, phenoxide undergoes carboxylation with carbon dioxide under pressure to yield salicylic acid."
"Photosynthetic organisms rely on the carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate to fix atmospheric carbon into sugars."
Used when counting distinct instances of the reaction, e.g. across a synthetic route or metabolic pathway.
"Two successive carboxylations convert the starting material into the diacid."
Every calorie you've ever eaten traces back to a single carboxylation step — the reaction where plants bolt a carbon atom onto a sugar using CO2 from thin air.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of carboxylation
Carboxylation derives from 'carboxyl', a blending of 'carbon' (from Latin carbo, meaning coal or charcoal) and '-oxy-' (from Greek oxys, sharp or acidic, via 'oxygen'), coined in the nineteenth century to name the –COOH group of organic acids. The suffix '-ation' forms process nouns, so carboxylation literally means 'the act of adding a carboxyl group'. Related terms sharing the carbon root include carbonate, carbide, and carbonic acid.
How carboxylation is actually used
A technical term confined almost entirely to chemistry and biochemistry; it carries no figurative or colloquial use. In biochemistry contexts it often appears in compounds naming specific enzymes or reactions, such as 'reductive carboxylation' in the reverse TCA cycle.
Easily confused with carboxylation
Carboxylation adds a carboxyl group to a molecule, while decarboxylation removes one, releasing carbon dioxide.