Synthetic Applications of Sulfonium Salts as Aryl Radical Precursors

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.