Synthesis using aromatic homolytic substitution - recent advances

This critical review aims at presenting recent developments in intramolecular aromatic homolytic substitution which has become one of the common methodologies in modern synthesis. The application of Bu3SnH- mediated cyclisations have proved especially useful. The critical review illustrates the mechanistic considerations required for planning synthetic applications and a wide range of synthetic protocols and natural product syntheses are shown. The latest evidence for the mechanisms involved in aromatic homolytic substitution are presented. ( 152 references).