NOTE: Important charges and non-bonding electrons are shown throughout the animation except during the transition state phase.

The radical chain is initiated by the homolysis of dibenzoylchloride producing two identical radicals. The bromine abstracts a hydrogen in this case from a methyl group forming a primary carbon radical. This is less favourable than the addition of a bromine radical to a double bond as in the previous isobutene example.

^{Click the structures and reaction black arrows in sequence to view the 3D models and animations respectively}