A ligand-free copper(I) oxide catalyzed strategy for the N-arylation of azoles in water

A simple and practical protocol has been developed for the cross-coupling of azoles and aryl iodides under ligand-free copper(I) oxide catalyzed conditions in water. The protocol uses tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) as the phase-transfer catalyst, and water as the solvent, and shows good tolerance towards various functional groups.