The reaction allows for alkylation of electron deficient heterocyclic species which is not possible with Friedel-Crafts chemistry. A method for alkylating electron deficient arenes, nucleophilic aromatic substitution, is also unavailable to electron deficient heterocycles as the ionic nucleophilic species used will deprotonate the heterocycle over acting as a nucleophile. Again, in contrast to nucleophilic aromatic substitution, the Minisci reaction does not require functionalisation of the arene, allowing for direct C-H functionalisation.
Further to this, the generated alkyl radical species will not rearrange during the reaction in the way that alkyl fragments appended by Friedel-Crafts alkylation often will; meaning groups such as n-pentyl and cyclopropyl groups can be added unchanged. The alkyl radical is also a soft nucleophile and so is very unlikely to interact with any hard electrophiles (carbonyl species for example) already present on the heterocycle, which increases the functional group tolerance of the reaction.
The reaction has been the subject of much research in recent years, with a focus placed on improved reactivity towards a greater variety of heterocycles, increasing the number of alkylating reagents that can be used, and employing milder oxidants and acids.