eliminating a molecule of nitrogen gas to form two 2-cyanoprop-2-yl radicals:
:For instance a mixture of styrene and maleic anhydride in toluene will react if heated, forming the copolymer upon addition of AIBN.

A simple dialkyl diazo compound is diethyldiazene, , which can be synthesized through a variant of the Ramberg-Bäcklund reaction.