Disclosed is a new, catalytic, and general methodology for the chemical synthesis of biaryl, heterobiaryl, and polyaryl molecules by the cross-coupling of o-methoxybenzamides with aryl boroneopentylates. The reaction is based on the activation of the unreactive C-OMe bond by the proximate amide directing group using catalytic RuH2(CO)(PPh3)3 conditions. A one-step, base-free coupling process is thereby