The photooxidation by ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) of several aryl and naphthylcarbinols has been studied by means of ESR spectroscopy. For all the investigated arylcarbinols, but not for the naphthyl derivatives, it has been possible to detect radical intermediates deriving from the parent alkoxyl radicals. In particular, in the photooxidation of 1, 1-diphenylethanol, a bridged-radical intermediate has been detected. The assignment has been validated ...