A simple and efficient approach for the palladium-catalyzed ligand-free Suzuki reaction in water

A general and efficient protocol is described for the palladium-catalyzed ligand-free and aerobic Suzuki reaction in water in the absence of any additive. The results demonstrate that the base played a crucial role in the high efficiency. The Pd(OAc)(2)/(i-Pr)(2)NH/H2O system showed the highest catalytic activity towards the Suzuki reaction of a wide range of aryl halides bearing hydrophilic or hydrophobic groups.