cascade radicalC(sp2/sp3)-S bond cleavage and group-transfer cyclization is disclosed. Triggered by alkyl radicals, varieties of 2-isocyanoaryl thioethers containing aliphatic, aryl, and heteroaromatic groups can be cleaved and precisely reinstalled to give benzothiazole derivatives. Mechanistic studies reveal that the cascade reaction undertakes an intermolecular pathway, and the inner radical sources