This review summarizes the recent advancements in synthetic applications involving aryl radicals, utilizing aryl sulfonium salts as precursors. This topic, while challenging, holds paramount significance for drug design and the agrochemical industry. The mechanisms underlying these transformations are also discussed.

Abstract

The utilization of aryl radicals as open-shelled intermediates has become an essential tool for both conventional and state-of-the-art synthetic chemistry. However, the current methods for generating aryl radicals are still inefficient, greatly impeding their practical applications. Encouragingly, sulfonium salts have emerged as appealing sources of aryl radicals for a wide range of transformations aimed at creating novel chemical bonds driven by their distinctive structural attributes and chemical tendencies. This review primarily focuses on the specific reaction mechanisms underlying the cleavage of C−S bonds in sulfonium salts, leading to the generation of corresponding aryl radicals within diverse reaction conditions.