 Historically, it is generally accepted that the first free radical was identified by Moses Gomberg in 1900; this radical was triphenylmethyl radical.While in general the use of free radicals in organic transformations is difficult to control, organic syntheses with free radicals began in 1937 with Heyes and Waters.After 1940, deeper insights into the formation, structure and reactions of free radicals showed how to control these reactive species in chemical reactions.