Novel radical-chain deoxygenations of primary alcohols are described. The alcohols are acylated with the reagents pentafluorophenyl chlorothionoformate, 2,4,6-trichlorophenyl chlorothionoformate and 4-fluorophenyl chlorothionoformate and the intermediate thionocarbonates are deoxygenated with tributyltin hydride, triphenylsilane, diphenylsilane or phenylsilane in high-yielding reactions.