Cross-Coupling reactions became popular in the 1980’s as it allowed two fragments to be joined together with the aid of a metal catalyst. Heck, Negishi & Suzuki shared the 2010 Noble Prize for chemistry for developing these reactions.

Commonly used solvents/reagents:
Dioxane, DMA, THF, Triphenyl Phosphine, Sodium Acetate, Sodium Ethylate, Potassium Carbonate & metals such as Palladium, Nickel, Ruthenium & Copper​.

Example of a typical reaction: