Cu2O/2,6-bis(2-methylhydrazine-1-carbonyl)pyridine 1-oxide was found to be an efficiently catalytic system for the N-arylation of imidazole, indole, benzimidazole, pyrrole, benzylamine and ethanolamine with aryl iodides and bromides by using NaOH as base in the presence of 20 mol% (n-Bu)(4)NBr, and water as solvent at 130 A degrees C in 24 h, and giving the N-arylated products in moderate to excellent yields. [GRAPHICS] .