Recent findings from Hamilton's group has highlighted the use of terphenyl derivatives as structural and functional mimics of extended regions of a-helices. A preliminary structural comparison between a tris-methyl 3,2',2"-terphenyl and two similarly substituted N-biphenyl-naphthalic anhydrides indicates a close angular and bond distance correspondence. These proposed proteomimetic compounds would have an additional feature as fluorescent molecular probes (in some cases dual fluorescent) for direct visualization of proteomimetic interactions. Scheme 1 outlines the proposed synthesis for a series of terphenyl analogs which have potential use as structural and functional mimics of extended regions of an a -helix.