A new cascade radical reaction for the synthesis of biaryls and triaryls from benzyl iodoaryl ethers

The paper describes a new method of synthesizing biaryls and triaryls through an intramolecular ipso-substitution reaction initiated by the addition of an aryl radical to a benzyl ether. A tandem variant of the reaction has also been demonstrated. A short synthesis of isoaucuparin 27, a natural product found in the sapwood tissue of Sorbus aucuparia, is also described.