A direct C(sp2)–H arylamination of 2-hydroxyarenes using nitrosoarenes was achieved under metal free conditions without the aid of additional reagents/steps for N–O bond cleavage.
Hydrogen atom transfer from commonly used solvents to nitroarenes occurred. Such solvents required C(sp3)H‐C(sp3)H bond adjacent to oxygen atoms, such as 1,4‐dioxane, tetrahydrofuran, alkanol, ethylene glycol, glycerol and bis(2‐methoxyethyl) ether. The transformation was transition‐metal free and the reduced nitroarenes were trapped by naphthols and their analogues at