The poly (ethylene glycol) ester of bromo-, iodo-, and triflate-para-substituted benzoates are smoothly cross-coupled with aryl boronic acids (Suzuki reaction) under “ligandless” palladium acetate catalysis in water. The reaction proceeds without organic cosolvent under conventional thermal conditions (70° C, 2 h) and under microwave irradiation (75 W, 2-4 min). The polymeric support remains stable under both reaction conditions. Whereas ...