Thermally Induced Carbohydroxylation of Styrenes with Aryldiazonium Salts

The radical carbohydroxylation of styrenes with aryldiazonium salts has been achieved under mild thermal conditions. A broad range of aryldiazonium salts was tolerated, and the reaction principle based on a radical-polar crossover mechanism could be extended to carboetherification as well as to a two-step, metal-free variant of the Meerwein arylation leading to stilbenes.