c) it must be emphasized that we have excluded from our considerations the initial generation of a phosphoranyi radical adduct with odd electron apical, a species resulting from equatorial introduction of attacking alkoxy radical (facial attack towards the electron lone pair). Such an intermediate might be expected to isomerize rapidly to the more stable odd-electron-equatorial radical with entering alkoxy group then either apical (as in 7 or 8) or equatorial (e.g., 9). Our results do not rule out such an attack but merely exclude any single or combination of attack routes (and subsequent isomerizations) which randomize the positions of R'O. and R20. in 4 (7, 8, 9). (12) T. B. Min. unpublished results from this laboratory.(13) Given the case that k~' be only greater than /q0, the conclusion re-mains the same. Under thls condition, k2(k+) would be less than 3.3 kp; but the increase in lifetimes of 8 and 9 would still result in equilibration and memory loss. (14) For experimentally and theoretically based estimates, see PAbstract: A series of caged polycyclic thiooxyphosphoranes and oxyphosphoranes has been prepared by allowing the dithietene 6, the dioxetane 14, and hexafluorobiacetyl to react with bicyclic phosphites. Those products which contain only sixmembered rings in the bicyclic moiety have NMR spectra which show that, over the temperature range investigated, there is a rapid intramolecular motion which renders the nuclei under investigation equivalent. On the other hand, introduction of one or more five-membered rings into the bicyclic moiety leads to an inhibition of this intramolecular process, and activation energies of 12-19 kcal/mol are found for these substances. The increase in activation energy is probably associated with an increase in strain in the five-membered ring(s) during the intramolecular isomerization.During the past several years Ramirez, Ugi, and their coworkers have prepared a number of caged polycyclic oxyphosphoranes by condensation of phosphites with hexafluoroacetone and hexafluorobiacetyl.2 Representative structures are 1-3. These substances' structures have been studied by cF3\r___rcF3 (CFd, 1 1 (CFA (CF3, (CF, k OLP,O O V o 1 2 3variable-temperature N M R measurements. The data show that the fluorines of the trifluoromethyl groups of 1 are equivalent over all the temperatures investigated. The same is true for compounds 2 and 3. Similarly, the hydrogens on the carbons bonded to oxygen of 1 are equivalent over the temperature range studied. Once again the same was found to be true for 2 and 3. No structure, trigonal bipyramid or square pyramid, can account for the N M R data, and it has been concluded by Ramirez and Ugi that there is a low-energy intramolecular exchange pathway for interconversion of trigonal-bipyramidal structures which renders the various nuclei equivalent. An alternative ionization-recombination mechanism has been considered and rejected on the basis of the lack of change of the 31P N M R chemical shifts with increasing polarity of solvent. It has been shown i...