The complexation of 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,2'-bis(oxazolinyl)-ferrocene with palladium(II) in solution was studied and with this kind of P,N-chelating tetrasubstituted ferrocene compounds as chiral ligands, up to 99% ee was given to the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic substitution of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with sodium dimethyl malonate. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd