The application discloses a synthesis method of indole-2-
carboxylic acid, which is suitable for industrial production and comprises the following steps: (1) condensation: mixing o-nitrotoluene,
diethyl oxalate and
sodium ethoxide
ethanol solution, raising to 75-85 DEG C and reacting for 1.5-3 hours, adding into water, stirring for 0.5-1.5 hours, removing
ethanol, decoloring, filtering, adjusting the pH of the filtrate to 1-2, and obtaining an intermediate; (2) reduction: adding
methanol to the intermediate, adding
Raney nickel, raising to 55-65 DEG C, adding
hydrogen and reacting, lowering to
room temperature, filtering, removing
methanol, lowering to 0-5 DEG C and preserving for 1-2 hours, and filtering to obtain a crude product; and (3) purification: adding water to the crude product, adjusting the pH to 8-9, decoloring, filtering, adjusting the pH to 2-3, precipitating a
solid, filtering, and
drying the
filter cake.