An experimentally simple and inexpensive catalyst system was developed for the amidation of aryl halides by using 0.2-10 mol% of CuI, 5-20 mol% of a 1, 2-diamine ligand, and K3PO4, K2CO3, or Cs2CO3 as base. Catalyst systems based on N, N'-dimethylethylenediamine or trans-N, N'-dimethyl-1, 2-cyclohexanediamine were found to be the most active even though several other 1, 2-diamine ligands could be used in the easiest cases. Aryl iodides, ...