Oxidative addition of triphenylcyclopropenyl hexafluorophosphate to [Mo(CO)3(MeCN)3] affords the cationic cyclopropenyl complex [Mo(j7-C3Ph3)(CO)2(MeCN)3]+[PF6"], 8, which reacts with cyclopentadienylthallium to give excellent yields of the neutral rf-cvclopropenyl complex [Mo(r)-C3Ph:!)(jj-C5H5)(CO)2], 6a. Similar one-pot syntheses of the analogous complexes [M(7j-C3Ph2-t-Bu)(j)-C5H5)(CO)2] (6b, = Mo; 6c, M = W) from the tert-butyldiphenylcyclopropenyl cation are described. In contrast, use of triphenylcyclopropenyl chloride or bromide in the reaction with [M(CO)3(MeCN)3] (M = Mo, W) affords ultimately the ring-expanded oxocyclobutenyl compounds 9, presumably via intermediates 10. Thermal reaction of the (triphenylcyclopropenyl)molybdenum complex 6a with PMe2Ph or P(OPh)3 results in ring expansion to give the oxocyclobutenyl complexes 11. The dynamic behavior of the cyclopropenyl ligands in compounds 6 is reported, and compounds 6a and 6b have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies: 6a crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2x/n with a = 9.545 (2) Á, b = 16.580 (3) Á, c = 14.463 (3) Á, ß = 98.47 (2)°, and Z -4; 6b crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c with a = 8.488 (2) A, b = 16.394 (4) A; c = 16.168 (4) A, ß = 95.28 (2)°, and Z = 4. Both compounds clearly contain tj3-cyclopropenyl ligands, and their structures are compared and contrasted with those of other cyclopropenyl and metallacyclobutadiene complexes.