Abstract The adduct of 2,2,2-trifluoro-4,4,5,5-tetrakis(trifluoromethyl)-1,3,2 A 5 -dioxaphospholane with trimethylphosphine crystallises in the orthorhombic space group Pbcm, Z = 4, with a - 11.018(2), b - 12.978(4), c= 11.607(2) Å at -120 °C. The perfluoropinacolyl ring system lies in a crystallographic plane of symmetry. This ring conformation and the very long endocyclic C-C bond and average C-CF3 distances of respectively 1.59(1) and 1.59(1) A are presumably a consequence of very short F···F steric contacts. The P→P bond distance of 2.234(5) is very short for a coordinate bond being only 0.01-0.03 A longer than that typically observed for a a-bond. The tr-bond lengths to the hexacoordinate phosphorus are influenced by the nature of the Zrans-bond in the octahedron.