Terminal, anionic carbide, nitride, and phosphide transition-metal complexes as synthetic entries to low-coordinate phosphorus derivatives.

Anionic terminal one-atom nitride, phosphide, and carbide complexes are excellent starting materials for the synthesis of ligands containing low-coordinate phosphorus centers in the protecting coordination sphere of the metal complex. Salt-elimination reactions with chlorophosphanes lead to phosphaisocyanide, iminophosphinimide, and diorganophosphanylphosphinidene complexes in which the unusual phosphorus ligands are stabilized by coordination. X-ray structure analyses and density-functional calculations illuminate the bonding in these compounds.