Synthesis and Structure of I&Dihydro-l,4diphosphinines and 1,CDihydro-1,CphospharsininesThe cyclizing addition of phenylphosphane or phenylarsane to tert-butyl(benzy1, diethylamin0)diethinylphosphane (14) with formation of the 1,4-dihydro-1 +diphosphinines*' 11 a -d and 1,4-dihydro-1,4-phospharsinines 12a -d, resp., occurs by a radical mechanism (AIBN) as well as base-catalyzed (NaNH,/NH,l; KOH/[18]-crown-6); 11 and 12 are formed as mixtures of cisltrans-isomers with the cis-isomers with (e,e)-conformation prevailling. This is confirmed by X-ray analysis of l-tert-butyl-l,4-dihydro-4-phenyl-l,4-diphosphinine (11 a). The cyclizing addition of primary alkylphosphanes (tert-butylphosphane, benzylphosphane) to diethinylphosphanes is possible only by KOH/[18]-crown-6 catalysis (11 e-f). -A NOEDS-study of l-benzyl-4-tert-butyl-1,4-dihydro-l,4-diphosphinine (11 e) confirms the assigned cis(e,e)-structure. 1,4-Dibenzyl-l,4-dihydro-1,4-diphosphinine (11 g) cannot bc isolated, following reactions via the 1,4-diphosphinine arc discusscd. Only by base-catalyzed (NaNH2/NH31; KOH/[18]-crown-6) cyclizing addition of aryl-, alkylphosphanes, and phenylarsane to di-1-propinylphosphane the 1,4-dihydro-3,5-dimethyl-1,4-di-*I Phosphorine heiDen nach den neuen IUPAC-Regeln (W. H . Powell, Pure Appl. Chem.55, 40Y (1983)) Phosphinine.