Radical aryl migration reactions and synthetic applications

Radical aryl migration reactions are of particular interest to the chemical community due to their potential application in radical chemistry and organic synthesis. The neophyl rearrangements used as radical clocks for examining the radical-molecular reactions have been known for decades. The combinations of these migrations with other radical reactions have provided a wide range of novel synthetic methodologies that are complementary to nucleophilic rearrangements. This review will give an overview of various types of radical aryl migrations, with an emphasis on their mechanistic studies from a historical point of view, as well as their application in tandem radical reactions.