To a quick-fit conical flask, equipped with condenser apparatus, aniline (0.95 mL, 10 mmol), 2-bromobenzoic acid (2.01 g, 10 mmol), potassium carbonate (3.4 g, 25 mmol), copper bronze (0.256 g, 4mmol) and DMF (40 mL) was added*. The reaction mixture was heated to reflux with constant stirring for 4 hours. Upon cooling, the solution poured over ice with stirring, then filtered through celite**. A minimum amount of concentrated hydrochloric acid was added dropwise to the filtrate to obtain pH=4***. The precipitate obtained was isolated at the pump to yield 2-(phenylamino) benzoic acid (1.40g, 67.2%) as a dark green solid.  

1H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO) δ 12.89 (s, 1H), 7.95 (s, 1H), 7.83 (d, J = 7.7 Hz, 1H), 7.56 (t, J = 7.8 Hz, 1H), 7.35 (t, J = 7.9 Hz, 2H), 7.27 (t, J = 7.6 Hz, 1H), 7.08 (t, J = 7.3 Hz, 1H), 7.01 (d, J = 8.2 Hz, 1H), 6.90 (d, J = 8.7 Hz, 2H). 13C NMR (75 MHz, DMSO) δ 167.01, 157.92, 155.26, 134.04, 131.84, 130.35, 124.97, 124.48, 123.31, 121.48, 118.04. IR: 3332.34, 2637.37, 1655.04, 1575.30, 1260.82, 889.68. LC-MS m/z: 214.35 [M+].