Rhodium(I)‐Catalyzed C–H Carboxylation of Benzoic Acids and Benzamides with CO2 †

Comprehensive Summary The production of chemicals using carbon dioxide (CO2) as the one‐carbon source is a sustainable strategy for organic synthesis. Herein, we report an unprecedented rhodium‐catalyzed, carboxyl‐directed aryl C−H carboxylation of benzoic acids with CO2 under redox‐neutral conditions to afford valuable phthalic acids. In addition, this method could be modified for benzamides by using a different N‐heterocyclic carbene ligand to produce phthalimides, demonstrating the versatility of this protocol.