Phosphine-free palladium acetate catalyzed Suzuki reaction in water.

Pd(OAc)(2) in a mixture of water and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is shown to be an extremely active catalyst for the Suzuki reaction of aryl iodides and bromides. The reaction can be conducted under mild conditions (50 degrees C) without the use of a microwave or phosphine ligand in high yields. The isolation of the products is readily performed by the extraction of diethyl ether, and the Pd(OAc)(2)-PEG can be reused without significant loss in activity.