Moreover, the addition of TEMPO (2 equiv.), a radical trapping agent, to the coupling of 12 led to the suppression of the formation of 13, while the TEMPO adduct 75 was isolated in a 55% yield (Figure ). The formation of 75 further supports the involvement of an alkyl radical intermediate. More importantly, the failure of TEMPO to directly trap the aryl radical was consistent with the high reaction rate of the iodine abstraction step. Finally, GC analysis of the reaction mixture demonstrated that iodomesitylene 76 was formed in a nearly quantitative yield, in agreement with the aryl radical abstracting an iodine atom from an alkyl iodide (Figure ). Overall, these mechanistic studies support the hypothetical mechanism in which the iodine abstraction from an alkyl iodide by an aryl radical was involved. In addition, the successful execution of the aryl radical activation strategy could be attributed to the fast iodine abstraction by aryl radicals. More thorough mechanistic studies are currently ongoing in our laboratory to better understand this aryl radical activation strategy.