Palladium-catalyzed copper-free Sonogashira coupling of 2-bromocarbonyls is presented. This method afforded the 2-alkynylaryl carbonyls, useful synthons for the accomplishment of many carbocyclic and heterocyclic motifs. Significantly, the strategy was extended to the one-pot synthesis of isobenzofurans via reduction followed by intramolecular 5- exo -dig cyclization.