Metal-free catalyst for the visible-light-induced photocatalytic synthesis of quinazolinones

•Efficient photocatalytic synthesis of quinazolinones from o-aminobenzamides and aldehydes.•The method was achieved under visible light irradiation and ambient temperature conditions.•The metal-free photocatalytic system was tolerance for a variety of substrates.•Gram-scale synthesis of quinazolinones was successfully conducted.