International audienceThe palladium-catalysed direct arylation of methyl 2-furoate with aryl bromides was studied. The use of KOAc as the base, dimethylacetamide (DMAc) as the solvent and Pd(OAc)2 as the catalyst was found to give 5-arylfurans regioselectively and without decarboxylation. These methyl 5-aryl-2-furoates gave 2,5-diarylfurans by decarboxylative coupling by using Pd(OAc)2 as the catalyst. Methyl 2-furoate thus represents a convenient alternative substrate to furan for the synthesis of mono- or poly-arylated furans