The reaction of the hydride niobocene complexes [Nb(
5-C
5H
4SiMe
3)
2H(L)] [L = CNBu
n (
1), CNCy(
2), and CNXylyl (
3)] with ClPPh
2 yielded the cationic niobocene complexes [Nb(
5-C
5H
4SiMe
3)
2(PHPh
2)(L)]Cl [L = CNBu
n (
4), CNCy (
5), and CNXylyl (
6)]. Treatment of these complexes with NaOH yieldeda new family of phosphidoniobocene derivatives [Nb(
5-C
5H
4SiMe
3)
2(PPh
2)(L)] [L = CNBu
n (
7), CNCy(
8), and CNXylyl (
9)] by elimination of the hydrogen atom directly bonded to the phosphorus. Thecationic d
2 species [Nb(
5-C
5H
4SiMe
3)
2(PRPh
2)(L)]X [R = Me, X = I, L = CNBu
n (
10), CNCy (
11),and CNXylyl (
12); R = CH
2Ph, X = Br, CNBu
n (
13), CNCy (
14), and CNXylyl (
15); R = CH
2CH
2Ph,X = Br, CNBu
n (
16), CNCy (
17), and CNXylyl (
18)] were prepared by the reaction of alkyl halidesRX (R = Me, X = I; CH
2Ph, X = Br; CH
2CH
2Ph, X = Br) with
7,
8, or
9 by electrophilic attack onthe phosphorus atom present in the phosphido terminal ligand. In the same way, the reaction of
9 withICH
2CH
2I or iodine yielded the complex [Nb(
5-C
5H
4SiMe
3)
2(P(I)Ph
2)(CNXylyl)]I
3 (
19). The insertionreaction of carbon disulfide into the Nb-P bond of
7,
8, or
9 yielded a new family of diphenylphosphidodithioformato complexes with the niobocene system [Nb(
5-C
5H
4SiMe
3)
2(
1-
S-SC(S)(PPh
2))(L)][L = CNBu
n (
20), CNCy (
21), and CNXylyl (
22)]. The molecular structures of
11 and
12 were determinedby single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.