The title compound 3, synthesized in four steps from NOBIN (1), has been found to exhibit a dramatic accelerating effect on the Pd(0)-catalyzed Hartwig-Buchwald N-phenylation of amino alcohol 1 and diamine 8 with PhBr. Partial kinetic resolution was observed for the phenylation of (+/-)-1 or (+)-8 in the presence of(S)-BINAP. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.