The synthesis of four 6,6’-bis(acylamino)-2,2’-bipyridine-based amino acids 1a-c and 2 are described. These residues, when coordinated to Cu(II), are designed to replace the i + 1 and i + 2 residues of a beta-turn. Amino acids 1a-c and 2 were incorporated into several different peptides to evaluate their efficacy as beta-sheet nucleators. Matrix assisted laser desorption mass spectroscopy and UV spectroscopy reveal that peptides incorporating these residues bind Cu(II) ions under alkaline and acidic conditions with a 1:1 binding stoichiometry. In an effort to predict the geometry of the metal binding site of peptides containing beta-turn mimics 1a-c and 2, three model compounds, 18, 19, and 20, were prepared, and their crystal structures were determined. The crystal structure of 6,6’-bis(phenylacetamide)-2,2’-bipyridin (18) suggests that the bipyridine rings of peptides containing these residues should exist in a transoid conformation in the absence of Cu(II) ions and other stabilizing forces.