Boryl-substituted phosphines NHB-P(R)Ph (R = H, Ph, NHB = N-heterocyclic boryl substituent) react with Fe 2 (CO) 9 to give isolable Fe(CO) 4 complexes, two of which were characterized by single-crystal XRD studies. The electronic and steric properties for a series of the boryl phosphines were further assessed by evaluation of TEPs for in-situ formed complexes [RhCl(NHB-PR 1 R 2 )(CO) 2 ] (R 1 , R 2 = H, Ph, Me, NMe 2 ), and calculations of buried volumes for Fe(CO) 4 complexes. The results imply that the NHB-phosphines exhibit due to their conforma- [a]