Cation fluctuations within a molecular anionic ligand framework in crystals have rarely been observed. Veith et al. have studied local Li + ion fluctuations in crystalline lithium siloxyamides that contain either an anionic (N-Si-O-Si-N) 2À = (X 2À ) or (O-Si-N-Si-O) À = (Z À ) skeleton. [1] In the crystalline [Li 2 (Z) 2 ] and [Li 4 (X) 2 ] species, the metal movements proceed in a concerted fashion, that is, the cations jump simultaneously from filled to empty positions as electrostatically coupled (Li 2 ) 2+ and (Li 4 ) 4+ clusters, and the movements are linked to phase transitions, rotations, and oscillations of atoms and atom groups. A partial dynamic disorder of Li + ions has also been reported in the "onion"-type spherical cluster [Li 24 OI 2 (AsR) 10 ] (R = Me 2 (iPrMe 2 C)Si). [2] To date, ion fluctuations in crystallized "molecular boxes" have only been observed for Li + ions.We report herein on two compounds that are composed of a small central PH 2 À anion surrounded by a spherical outer shell consisting of twelve tert-butoxy anions. In this confined polyanionic space, that is, between the PH 2 À anion and the outer shell, 12 or 13 highly mobile sodium cations are embedded. One sodium ion can be reversibly added or removed to interconvert these aggregates.Brandsma et al. reported the synthesis of sodium dihydrogenphosphide, NaPH 2 , which uses the reduction of elemental phosphorus with sodium metal and subsequent addition of tert-butyl alcohol. This form of NaPH 2 is a versatile reagent for the preparation of organophosphorus compounds; [3] however, the nature of this "Brandsma reagent" was not known.We treated a solution of sodium in a 1:1 (by volume) mixture of ammonia and dimethoxyethane (dme) with red or white phosphorus. A yellow-brown suspension is obtained after approximately 1.5 h. After evaporation of the ammonia, the crude mixture, containing [NaPH 2 (solv) x ] and [NaNH 2 -(solv) x ] (solv = NH 3 or dme) suspended in dme, was treated with tert-butyl alcohol at À78 8C (Scheme 1 a). A clear solution is obtained at room temperature, which shows one triplet in the proton-coupled 31 P NMR spectrum at d = À307.7 ppm (J = 145.0 Hz) and a doublet at d = À2.24 ppm in the 1 H NMR spectrum (J = 145.0 Hz) for the PH 2 À ion. From this solution, colorless crystals of the composition Na 13 (dme) 3 (PH 2 )(OtBu) 12 (1) were obtained.When the crude NaPH 2 /NaNH 2 mixture is evaporated to dryness and toluene is used as solvent for the reaction with tBuOH, a new species 2 is detected by 31 P and 1 H NMR spectroscopy in the clear solution. The PH 2 À ion is identified through a triplet at d = À292.3 ppm (J = 142 Hz) in the proton-coupled 31 P NMR spectrum and a doublet at d = Scheme 1. Syntheses of 1 and 2.