Copper-catalyzed C-N-, C-O-and C-S-coupling reactions are powerful tools in organic synthesis and have been extensively reinvestigated in the past five years. The understanding of solubilizing and accelerating effects exhibited by substrates and ligands initiated novel developments originally on N-arylation of amines, amides, and nitrogen heterocycles. Nevertheless practical methods for the syntheses of aryl ethers and aryl thioethers have been established as well. A wide range of arylating reagents was explored, of which the aryl halides will be presented in this overview. Among a growing set of ligands and optimized reaction protocols, the most promising procedures are highlighted, covering the literature published through May 2003.

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