The SUZUKI reaction of organoboron compounds with 4-[18F]fluoroiodobenzene has been developed as a novel radiolabelling technique in 18F chemistry. The cross-coupling reaction of p-tolylboronic acid with 4-[18F]fluoroiodobenzene was used to screen different palladium complexes, bases and solvents. Optimized reaction conditions (Pd2(dba)3, Cs2CO3, acetonitrile, 60°C for 5 min) were further applied to the synthesis of various 18F-labelled biphenyls bearing different functional groups. The reaction proceeded in excellent radiochemical yields of up to 94% within 5 min while showing good compatibility to many functional groups. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.