Diastereoselective complex formation with a simple C-2-symmetric hexadentate ligand based on a 1,1 '-binaphthalene scaffold

A pair of enantiomerically pure ligands have been prepared from the condensation of (S)-(-)-1,1'-binaphthalene-2,2'-diamine or (R)-(+)-1,1'-binaphthalene-2,2'-diamine with two equivalents of 2,2'-bipyridine-6-carbaldehyde. The reaction of these new hexadentate ligands with iron(II) salts results in diastereomerically pure complexes in which the stereochemistry at the metal is fully defined by the chiral ligand scaffold. The simplicity of synthesis of the ligand suggests that conjugates of this type could play an important role in inorganic stereoselective synthesis.