Acetylquinolines and acetylisoquinolines were obtained from the corresponding chloro-, bromo- or trifluoromethylsulfonyloxy-heteroaromatics via four different palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions: (i) Stille coupling with tri(n-butyl)-1-ethoxyvinylstannane; (ii) Negishi coupling with 1-ethoxyvinylzinc chloride; (iii) cross-coupling with tri(1-ethoxyvinyl)indium; (iv) Heck arylation of n-butyl vinyl ether. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.