Radical as reactive intermediate

Sulfur dioxide (see above) as well as S02, SO , and SOj have been used as building blocks in three-component sulfone syntheses. It has long been known that aromatic sulfinic acids are easily available from diazonium salts and sulfur dioxide under copper catalysis . Mechanistically, aryl radicals as reactive intermediates add to sulfur dioxide generating arenesulfonyl radicals, which either take up an electron (or hydrogen) yielding a sulfinic acid or add to an olefinic double bond yielding final y -halogenated alkyl aryl sulfones (equation 78). 

Reactions Involving Carbocations, Carbenes, and Radicals as Reactive Intermediates... 

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