Palladium(II) chloride/EDTA-catalyzed biaryl homo-coupling of aryl halides in aqueous medium in the presence of ascorbic acid

Both electron-deficient and electron-rich aryl bromides undergo biaryl homo-coupling in a basic aqueous-ethanolic medium in the presence of PdCl2–EDTA (1:1 molar ratio, 3 mol %) as catalyst and ascorbic acid as reductant (1 mol equiv) in acceptable to good yields.