Abstract: A novel ligand having the Formula 1 structure has proved remarkably successful in the amination of butadiene monoepoxide, which is a potentially desirable substrate for an asymmetric synthesis providing access to each enantiomer of vinylglycinol. ##STR1## This and other ligands described are useful for chiral induction of bond forming reactions with an epoxide substrate.

Abstract: Ligands useful for transition metal catalyzed bond forming reactions are provided with a metal binding portion having at least one metal binding moiety ##STR1## wherein Ar and Ar' each is an aryl or a heteroaryl. These ligands may be prepared by providing an aromatic carboxylic acid having a diarylphosphino or diheteroarylphosphino substituent on the aromatic ring, and forming an ester or an amide derivative of the carboxylic acid by coupling with a chiral diol or a chiral diamine. The ligands facilitate, for example, flexible strategies for enantiocontrolled construction of five membered carbocyclic rings with varying substitution patterns and high enantioselectivity.