An approach was developed for the direct C( sp 2)-H-functionalization of phenanthridine with a 1 H -benzotriazole residue, carried out in the presence of Selectfluor® reagent and leading to the formation of a C( sp 2)-N bond. The procedure described in this communication makes it possible to obtain α-(1 H -benzotriazol-1-yl)phenanthridine, which is a valuable synthon for further chemical transformations, in one step and using commercially available substrates and reagents.