Potassium tert-butoxide promoted intramolecular arylation via a radical pathway.

Potassium tert-butoxide mediated intramolecular cyclization of aryl ethers, amines, and amides was efficiently performed under microwave irradiation to provide the corresponding products in high regioisomeric ratios. The reaction proceeds via single-electron transfer to initiate the formation of an aryl radical, followed by a kinetically favored 5-exo-trig and subsequent ring expansion.