Nature Chemistry, Published online: 29 May 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02166-x Ketones are versatile, but converting them to ketyl radicals typically requires harsh conditions. Now a mild method using a bifunctional silyl reagent has been shown to generate ketyl-type radicals through a radical translocation strategy, enabling redox-neutral Pd-catalysed ketone–olefin couplings to give diverse alkenylation and allylation products without requiring organometallic reagents.