A simple new protocol for the high yielding Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings of aryl chlorides with aryl boronic acids using a palladium/imidazolium salt catalytic system is presented. The first examples of a palladium/imidazolium salt protocol for sp(3)-sp(3) Suzuki-Miyaura couplings of alkyl halides are also disclosed. (C) 2004 Elsevier ltd. All rights reserved.