Embodiments of the invention provide methods and materials for chemical cross-coupling reactions that utilize aryl alcohol derivatives as cross-coupling partners. Embodiments of the invention include methods for the amination of aryl sulfamates and carbamates, which are attractive cross-coupling partners, particularly for use in multistep synthesis. Illustrative embodiments include versatile means to use simple derivatives of phenol as precursors to polysubstituted aryl amines, as exemplified by a concise synthesis of the antibacterial drug linezolid.