described. The barriers to rotation of the naphthyl groups were probed by MM2 and by dynamic 1H-NMR spectroscopy. An achiral syn and a chiral anti conformation were experimentally observed at −90°C for the free ligands and at −40°C for the complexes. The experimental ΔG≠ and the calculated ΔH≠ values are in fair agreement. The barriers are substantially higher in the alkali metalcomplexes than in the