The C–N coupling between nucleophiles and aryl chlorides, which are less expensive, less reactive, and more abundant than their bromide and iodide counterparts, is challenging but of great interest for industrial applications. An oxalyldihydrazide/hexane‐2,5‐dione (100–150 mol‐%)/CuO system was found to enable the reaction of a wide range of nucleophiles with a variety of aryl chlorides in water for the first time.

A novel efficient catalyst system is presented for the C-N coupling of various aryl chlorides (II) with a diversity of amines, including aniline (I), benzylamine (IV), N-heterocycles like imidazole (VI) as well as ammonia, in aqueous solution. -(HUANG, M.; LIN, X.; ZHU, X.; PENG, W.; XIE, J.; WAN*, Y.; Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2011, 24, 4523-4527, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002 Sch. Chem. Chem. Eng., Sun Yat-Sen Univ.,