Some aspects of radical chemistry in the assembly of complex molecular architectures

This review article describes briefly some of the radical processes developed in the authors’ laboratory as they pertain to the concise assembly of complex molecular scaffolds. The emphasis is placed on the use of nitrogen-centred radicals, on the degenerate addition–transfer of xanthates, especially on its potential for intermolecular carbon–carbon bond formation, and on the generation and capture of radicals through electron transfer processes.