A class of new phosphine-oxazoline ligands was prepared from commercially available and inexpensive starting materials. As the first example, in situ formed catalysts generated from chiral phosphineoxazolines and Pd(OAc)(2) were successfully applied to the asymmetric addition reactions of arylboronic acids to isatins, and 3-aryl-3-hydroxyoxindoles were obtained in up to 97% yields and good enantioselectivities (up to 88% ee). Up to 98% enantiopurity of the products were obtained after one recrystallization. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.