A series of new tetradentate ligands containing two bipyridine groups or two pyridine moieties carrying amine substituents has been synthesised either from 5′- and 6′-substituted chiral bipyridines, or from chiral pyridine derivatives. These precursors have been prepared from (−)-α-pinene or (−)-myrtenal, respectively. The structures of three tetradentate-, and of five chiral bipyridine ligands have been determined by X-ray diffraction.