C-1-Symmetric phosphino-oxazolines, (S,S)- and (S,R)-2-[4-(isopropyl)oxazol-2-yl]-2'-diphenylphosphino-1,1'-binaphthyl, which possess both phosphine and oxazoline moieties, were prepared from racemic binaphthol and enantiomerically pure (S)-(+)-2-amino-3-methyl-1-butanol in high yields. Reaction of 1,3-diphenyl-2-propenyl acetate with dimethyl sodiomalonate in the presence of 2 mol% of palladium catalysts bearing the new chiral ligands proceeded with high enantioselectivity to give allylic alkylation products of up to 91% ee. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.