KEITH D. GALLICANO, NORMAN L. PADDOCK, STEVEN J. R E~G , and JAMES TROTIFR. Can. J. Chem. 70, 1855 (1992). The nature of the interactions between pyrazolyl and phosphazene rings has been investigated through the study of the structures of bis(1 -pyrazolyl)methane, CH2(H2pz),, 1, bis[l-(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)]methane, CH,(Me,pz),, 2, the pyrazolylphosphazenes N,p,(Me,p~)~, 3, N4P4(H2pz),, 4, and N,P,(Me2pz),, 5, and the partially substituted gem-N,P,ph,(Me,p~)~, 6. Crystal data are as follows: 1, orthorhombic, P2'2'2,, a = 7.997(2), b = 9.287(2), c = reflections. Interpretation of the structures through iterative extended Hiickel calculations shows that conjugative interactions lead to a quinonoid deformation of the pyrazole ring, similar to that in bis(1-pyrazoly1)carbonyl. a-Electron transfer to the phosphazene ring, facilitated by the use of acceptor d orbitals on phosphorus, is accompanied by a synergic a transfer to the pyrazole ring. The pyrazolyl group acts both as a strongly electronegative group and as a good potential donor. The calculations account satisfactorily for the bond lengths in the pyrazolyl group, the large bond angles at nitrogen in 4 and 5, the bond length inequalities in the phosphazene ring of 6, and the reactivity of the pyrazolylphosphazenes. [Traduit par la redaction]