A convenient tin-free procedure for radical carboazidation and azidation.

The radical carboazidation of alkenes has been achieved in water with triethylborane as initiator. This efficient process is complete in 1 h at room temperature in an open system. These new tin-free carboazidation conditions are environmentally friendly and allow running reactions with an excess of either the alkene or the radical precursor. They are also suitable for simple radical azidation of alkyl iodides as well as for more complex cascade reactions involving annulation processes.