A direct, modular, and efficient construction of the P-C-P structural motif through coupling of manganese carbyne complexes with phosphines.

Easily available carbyne complexes of manganese were used as a source of carbyne fragments in an unconventional synthesis of backbone-substituted diphosphinomethanes and cyclic P-ylides upon coupling with secondary or tertiary phosphines, respectively, followed by demetalation under mild conditions.