Phosphine substituted hydrazones with or without nitro substituents were synthesized and characterized by multinuclear NMR, FT-IR, UV-Vis spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The anion recognition properties of phosphine oxides {Ph₂P(O)C₆H₄CHNNHPh} (2) and {Ph₂P(O)C₆H₄CHNNHC₆H₃ (2,4-NO₂) ₂} (4) with anions (F⁻, Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻, CH₃COO⁻ and H₂PO⁻ ₄ ) were investigated. The selectivity towards these anions is attributed to the hydrogen bonding capability of the NH bond. Competitive titrations have shown that the binding ability of fluoride with 4 is not influenced by the presence of other anions.

Oxidation reactions and synthesis of copper(I) and palladium(II) complexes of 1,4-bis ((diphenylphosphino) methyl)benzene (1) have been described. Due to the larger separation of phosphorus atoms, bisphosphine exhibits only bridging mode of coordination. The ligand is also ideally suited to form binuclear complexes and 1-D coordination polymers. Reaction of 1 with [Pd(η³−allyl)Cl] ₂ results in dipalladium(II) complex [{Pd(η³−allyl)Cl}₂{μ−Ph₂PCH₂C₆H₄CH₂PPh₂}] (4), whereas with copper halides, dimeric complexes of the type [{CuX}{μ−Ph₂PCH₂C₆H₄CH₂PPh₂}] ₂ (5 X = Cl, 6 X = Br and 7 X = I) were isolated. All the compounds have been fully characterized by spectroscopic and analytical methods. The molecular structures of bisulfide (3), Pd(II) and Cu(I) complexes were confirmed by single crystal X-ray analyses.

The synthesis of a Schiff base-appended macrocycle [{P(μ--^t BuN)} ₂ (O − m − C₆H₄ CHNCH₂) ₂] ₂(1) containing cyclodiphosphazane moieties is described. Reactions of 1 with H₂ O₂ and elemental selenium yielded derivatives tetrakis(oxide) [{P(O)(μ--^t BuN)} ₂ (O − m − C₆H₄ CHNCH₂) ₂] ₂ (2) and tetrakis(selenide)[{P(Se)(μ--^t BuN)} ₂ (O − m − C₆H₄ CHNCH₂) ₂] ₂ (3), in ∼80% yield. Tetragold complex [Au ₄Cl ₄ {{P(μ--^t BuN)} ₂ (O − m − C₆H₄ CHNCH₂) ₂ }₂] (4) was prepared by reacting 1 with [AuCl(SMe₂)] in 1:4 molar ratio. All the compounds have been characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. The molecular structure of 3 was confirmed by single crystal X-ray analysis.