In memory of Luigi M. VenanziA series of chiral C 2 -symmetric bis[dihydrooxazoles] with a trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane backbone was synthesized. In view of the promising results obtained by Trost et al. with related bis[pyridine] ligands, we tested these new ligands in the enantioselective molybdenum-catalyzed allylic alkylation of 1-and 3-monosubstituted allylic substrates. Enantiomer excesses of up to 98% and branched/linear ratios of up to 11 : 1 were obtained with (E)-3-(alkyl)allyl carbonates. (E)-3-Phenoxyallyl acetate gave a branched/linear ratio of b 20 : 1 and an ee of 98%. Crystal structures of the free ligand 7a and of its tricarbonylmolybdenum(0) complex 28 are reported.Introduction. ± Transition-metal-catalyzed allylic substitution is one of the most efficient and most versatile methods for enantioselective CÀC and CÀheteroatom bond formation [1]. A number of chiral catalysts are available which afford high enantiomer excesses (ee) with many prochiral or racemic substrates. However, there are still classes of substrates which give unsatisfactory results with the known catalysts and, therefore, the search for new chiral ligands and catalyst systems continues.Unsymmetrically substituted allyl derivatives are particularly demanding substrates, because, in addition to the requirement of enantiocontrol, the problem of regioselectivity has to be addressed. With most Pd-catalysts, monosubstituted allyl systems such as 1-or 3-arylallyl derivatives react with C-nucleophiles preferentially at the unsubstituted terminus, giving rise to a linear, achiral product. It is only recently that catalysts have been discovered which allow the preparation of branched, chiral regioisomers from 1-or 3-arylallyl esters, with good enantio-and regioselectivity. Such a reversal of regioselectivity has been achieved by means of Pd complexes with certain chiral ligands such as 1 [2], W [3] and Ir [4] complexes derived from phosphinodihydrooxazoles 2, an Ir catalyst containing the phosphoramidite 3 [5] and, most recently, with a Mo complex [6] derived from the bis[pyridine] 4 [7]. In terms of regio-and enantioselectivity, the latter of these, developed by Trost et al. [6a,b], is the most selective catalyst available today, giving a branched/linear ratio of 49 : 1 and an ee of 99% in the reaction of methyl (E)-1-phenylallyl carbonate with dimethyl malonate.