“…13 However, although the chemistry of 1,3,4-triphospholide ions is well developed, far less is known about the chemistry of 1,2,3-triphospholides and there is no simple route to the 1,2,3phospholide framework. 14 For example, the parent ion 1,2,3-[(CH) 2 P 3 ] À can only be obtained as a mixture with [(CH)P 4 ] À from the thermolysis of P 4 and Na in diglyme, 8 and the 1,2,3-[(PhC) 2 P 3 ] À ligand can only be obtained either from a multistep synthesis 9 or via reaction at a transition metal centre. 15 The importance of obtaining 1 is that it provides a very ready crystalline source of the 1,2,3-benzo-phospholide anion, which is the first phospholide analogue of the indenyl anion [C 6 H 4 (CH) 3 ] À .…”