A Brief History and Outlook of Nitroxides

This introductory chapter briefly describes the major advances in the field of nitroxides since their discovery more than a century ago. A focus on their physico-chemical properties originating their remarkable features such as their stability, magnetic properties, redox properties and chemical reactivity is also given. The field appears to be in an endless growth and the peculiar chemistry, properties and applications of nitroxides underlie the widespread research attention.