Skeletal Editing through Molecular Recombination of 2H‐Indazoles to Azo‐Linked‐Quinazolinones

A new protocol by the combinatory use of two equivalent of indazoles starting material with one being the carbon source via its C3-reactivity and the other, the coupling partner has been developed for the selectfluor-mediated single atom skeletal editing of 2H-indazoles. The azo-linked-2,3-disubstituted quinazolin-4-one derivatives were obtained through a carbon atom insertion between the two nitrogens of the indazole ring and simultaneous oxidation at C3 position of both indazole moieties. Mechanistic investigations reveal that the amidic carbonyl oxygen of the product is derived from water and the reaction proceeds through in-situ generated N-centred indazolone radical intermediate.