Reduction-substitution reactions of [TcO,] -with an excess of the mixed bidentate thiol-phosphine ligands H L" [ L1 = 2-(dipheny1phosphino)ethanethiolate; L2 = 2-(dipheny1phosphino)propanethiolate and L3 = 2-(diphenylphosphino)thiophenolate] gave neutral five-co-ordinate technetium( tit) complexes of the type [TcL",(O=L")] (n = 1 1 or 2 2). However, the aromatic phosphinethiol ligand (n = 3) gave six-co-ordinated [TcL3,] 3. The five-co-ordinated complexes are diamagnetic and exhibit a trigonal-bipyramidal geometry in which two n-acid phosphorus donors of two chelates are co-ordinated mutually trans in the axial positions, with the corresponding thiolate sulfur atoms on the equatorial plane. A further thiolate group completes the basal-plane co-ordination leaving a pendant phosphorus donor outside the co-ordination sphere. This is oxidized to phosphine oxide, which was revealed by a crystal structure determination of 1 : trictinic, space group p1, with Z = 2, a = 9.991 (4). b = 12.41 7(4), c = 18.687(8) A, a = 73.37(3), = 76.88(3) and y = 73.68(3)"; R converged to 0.0703 using 2765 observed reflections. In addition, the compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 'H and 31P NMR, UV/VlS and FA6 spectroscopies and cyclic voltammetric measurements. The occurrence of trigonal-bipyramidal vs. octahedral geometry is discussed in terms of ligand steric requirements and electronic factors governing the metal-donor interactions.Sulfur and phosphorus are ideal donor atoms for technetium, as demonstrated by the extensive co-ordination chemistry exhibited by this Group VII metal with thiols and tertiary phosphines. ' Usually, mono-and bi-dentate thiolate ligands stabilize technetium in oxidation states ranging from v to ~n .