Careful base and solvent optimization for catalytic amination is described. A Pd-catalyzed amination between some arylbromide and unprotected piperazine (1equiv) was efficiently carried out with Pd/BINAP catalyst in a toluene–DBU solvent system, which is useful for the one-pot preparation of unsymmetrical piperazine through amination and in-situ N-protection. Reaction with N-BOC-piperazine was also successful in toluene–DBU or more polar NMP ...