The complexes [MCl(cod)(HL)] (M = Rh or Ir), [PdCl(q3-C3H,)(HL)], [PdCI(L-L)(HL)], trans-[RhCl(CO)(HL),] and [AuCl(HL)] have been synthesised by reaction of either [{M(p-Cl)(cod)),] (M = Rh or Ir; cod = cycloocta-l,5-diene), [(Pd(p-Cl)(q3-C3H,)) J, [(Pd(p-Cl)(L-L)},] (L-L = C12H12N, C,,H,N or C,H, ,N), [(Rh(p-CI)(CO),),] or [AuCl(tht)] (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) with Ph,PNHP(O)Ph, (HL). In all these complexes the ligand is monodentate P-bound. Chloride abstraction from [PdCI(C, ,H1 ,N)(HL)] or [PdCl(q'-C,H,)(HL)], using Ag[BF,], gave the cationic compounds [Pd(C,,H,,N)(HL)][BF,] or [Pd(q3-C,H,)(HL)][BF,] in which the ligand HL is P,O-chelated. Removal of the amine proton in metal complexes of HL (monodentate P-bound) with KOBu' afforded a new class of neutral metallacycles incorporating either an MP,NO or M,P,N,O, framework based on the [Ph,PNP(O)Ph,]-(L-) ligand. Reaction of [{Pd(p-CI)-(C9H1 ,N)),] with 4 equivalents of HL in methanol at ambient temperature yielded the neutral palladium(I1) complex [PdCl(Ph,PNP(O)Ph,-P,0)(Ph2POMe)] in which one HL ligand has undergone P-N bond scission. The reaction of the iridacycle [Ir(cod){Ph,PNP(O)Ph,-P,O}] with Me1 was shown to proceed with cis addition affording the iridium(m) metallacycle [IrI(Me)(cod)(Ph,PNP(O)Ph,-P,O}]. All compounds described have been characterised by a combination of ' P-[ ' H J NMR spectroscopy, microanalysis and in some cases by 'H NMR and IR spectroscopy. The molecular structures of four complexes have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The metallacycles show n-electron delocalisation in the P-N-P-0 fragment. The co-ordination chemistry of Ph,PNHPPh, (dppa)