Selective Preparation of the [3, There has been significant progress in the chemistry of transition-metal complexes carrying the h 5 -3,5-tBu 2 -1,2,4-C 2 P 3 ligand.[1] Although the isolobal relationship PMCH and diagonal relationship P/C suggest that complexes carrying this ligand should behave like the corresponding h 5 -cyclopentadienyl-substituted analogues, recent work has shown that the phosphorus-containing systems exhibit subtle differences in both bonding and reactivity. [2][3][4] This situation suggests that further investigations could be rewarding. In a new approach to this chemistry we focused on the reactivity of the interesting tricyclic C 2 P 3 compound 1 (Scheme 1), first reported by Regitz et al.[5] First, we used this species as a convenient starting point for a new selective synthetic approach to the aromatic ion [3,5-tBu 2 -1,2,4-C 2 P 3 ] À (3). Second, and again reflecting on the consequences of replacing CH groups by isolobal P atoms, we explored the possibility of utilizing 1 as a precursor to cations [C 2 tBu 2 P 3 ]+ . The published synthetic pathways to the anion 3, [6][7][8] which derive from earlier work by Becker et al., [9,10] involve reaction of PCtBu with alkali metals (M). However, this procedure is unselective, and to obtain pure 3 it is necessary to repeatedly recrystallize the moisture-sensitive alkali-metal salts to remove the second product of these reactions, the [2,4,5-tBu 3 -1,3-C 3 P 2 ]À ion. Therefore, we recognized that if the full potential of this area was to be realized, it was important to devise a more efficient and selective pathway to 3. We reasoned that if the tricyclic compound 1, which is readily formed in good to excellent yield by treating the readily accessible zirconium complex 2 with PCl 3 , [5] was treated with an alkali metal in THF, the anionic species A should be generated (Scheme 1). We then hypothesized that such a species should undergo consecutive ring-opening reactions (A!B!3) and thus selectively provide the desired anion.Reaction (RT, 2 h, THF) of 1 with Li or Na metal leads to quantitative formation of the lithium or sodium salt of 3, which confirms our ring-opening hypotheses. Both Li·3 and Na·3 react quantitatively with Ph 3 SnCl to give the known compound 3,5-tBu 2 -1-SnPh 3 -1,2,4-C 2 P 3 (4), which has been shown to be a valuable reagent for the syntheses of complexes of the h 5 -C 2 P 3 ligand. [7] We believed that 1 might react with Lewis acids to provide an entry point to the cationic [C 2 tBu 2 P 3 ] + manifold, related to the isoelectronic pentamethylcyclopentadienyl cation, a species that has recently attracted considerable attention. [11][12][13][14][15] In particular, in view of the isolobal relationship PMCH, and Scheme 1. a) PCl 3 ; b) M, THF, ÀMCl; c) Ph 3 SnCl, ÀMCl (* = CtBu; .. = lone pair; M = Li, Na.