“…The dilithium salt of the fulvalene dianion (Li 2 C 10 H 8 ) reacts with 9a,b to produce the dinuclear complexes trans-[P(CH 2 NAr R ) 3 Zr] 2 (µ-η eter of this phosphane ligand, [12,18] and allows for the observation of through-space spin-spin coupling by NMR spectroscopy when the central metal is spin-active, [19] and in paramagnetic complexes provides an electronic exchangecoupling pathway when a second paramagnetic metal center is bound to the phosphane donor. [19] With suitable building blocks, this interaction could be used to create heterometallic [20,21] 1D wires, or 2D or 3D networks that could have properties resulting from through-space exchangecoupling, or through-space electron-transfer. The target bis-(phosphane) building blocks for such an approach are shown in Scheme 1, and feature a pair of metal-bearing tripodal tris(amido)phosphane ligands, as well as a bridge between the metal centers labeled M. The addition of suitable late-transition-metal fragments capable of bonding to two phosphane moieties, labeled MЈL n in Scheme 1, should provide a facile route to transition-metal-containing oligomers and polymers.…”