The sodium salt of (R)-1-[(S)-(diphenylphosphino)ferrocenyl]ethyl merc
aptan 1 reacted with racemic epoxide 2 to furnish the P,S,O system 3 a
s a separable mixture of diastereoisomers. The absolute configuration
of (R, S, S)-(S)-4a and that of the palladium pi-allyl complex 6a were
established by crystal structure determinations.