Superoxide Radical Anion‐Mediated Aerobic Oxidative Synthesis of 2‐Substituted Quinazolines under Visible Light

Abstract A facile and efficient one‐pot reaction for the aerobic oxidative synthesis of 2‐substituted quinazolines using visible‐light catalysis has been developed. A variety of substituted aldehydes and 2‐aminobenzylamines are amenable to producing the corresponding quinazolines in good to excellent yields under metal‐free conditions. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) measurements provide clear evidence on the formation of a superoxide radical anion (O 2 ⋅ − ), which is responsible for this transformation.