There has been much recent interest in compounds incorporating P=C2,3 and p=p4 double bonds. Furthermore, the stable (2,2-dimethylpropylidyne)phosphine, (CH 3 hCC=P, featuring a PC triple bond has been prepared. 5 However, previous attempts to isolate cumulenes possessing a two-coordinate phosphorus atom, RP=C=X, have failed,2,3,6 except in a single case, the preparation of the stable and sterically protected (CH 3 hCP=C=NC We now wish to report a general method of preparation of unstable (iminomethylidene)phosphines (monophosphorus analogues of carbodiimides), their direct observation by IR and mass spectrometry, and their initial chemical reactions.The required starting materials, (iminomethyl)phosphines 1, exist in equilibrium with carbamoylphosphines [(CH 3 hSiP(R)-CON(Ph)Si(CH 3 hl and smaller amounts of alkylidenephosphines RP=C(OSi(CH 3 h)N(Ph)Si(CH 3 h 8 In analogy with the reaction used in the preparation of (CH3)3CO=P,5 the compounds 1 could be expected to eliminate hexamethyldisiloxane and thus give rise to the desired (iminomethylidene)phosphines, RP= C=NPh (Scheme I). (2) Appel, R.; Knoll, F.; Ruppert, L Angew. Chern. 1981,93,771; Angew. Chern., Int. Ed. Engl. 1981,20,731. Chern. Soc. 1981, 103,4587. Cowley, A. H.;Newman, T. H.; Pakulski, M. Ibid. 1982, 104, 5820. Bertrand, G.;Couret, c.;Escudie, J.;Majid, S.; Majoral, J.-P. Tetrahedron Lett. 1982, 23, 3567. Couret