The allenic bipyridines 3, which represent a new class of axially chiral ligands for transition metal catalysis, were synthesized and their complexation properties were studied. The synthesis was achieved by copper-mediated or palladiumcatalyzed S N 2Ј-substitution of the tertiary propargyl acetates 2. The allenic bipyridines form 1:1 complexes with Cu + and Ag + ions that were characterized by electrospray mass spec-

The title compound, C21H26N2, a potential chiral ligand for transition metal‐catalysed reactions, crystallizes with one mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit; the mol­ecule has a pseudo‐twofold axis perpendicular to the central C=C=C fragment.