Novel chiral P,N-ferrocene ligands, 1-diphenylphosphino-1'-oxazolinylferrocenes, were prepared from ferrocene via 1,1'-bis(tributylstannyl)ferrocene and I -diphenylphosphino-1'-methoxycarbonylferrocene as intermediates, and with this new kind of ligand up to 91% ee with 99% chemical yield was afforded for the palladium-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethylmalonate anion. The complexation behavior of this kind of ligand with dichlorobis (acetonitrile)palladium and bis(mu-chloro)(1,3-diphenyl-eta(3)-allyl)dipalladium was investigated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.