Kinetically stabilized 1,1 0 -bis[(E)-diphosphenyl]ferrocenes were synthesized by taking advantage of extremely bulky substituents, 2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl (denoted as Tbt) and 2,6-bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]-4-[tris(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl (denoted as Bbt) groups, and characterized by the spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analyses. The electronic structures of the 1,1 0 -bis[(E)-diphosphenyl]ferrocenes were determined by analyzing electronic spectra, the transitions of which were reasonably assigned based on theoretical calculations. In the cyclic voltammograms, there were two well-defined reversible one-electron reduction couples corresponding to the intramolecular two diphosphene units. Furthermore, the 1,1 0 -bis[(E)-diphosphenyl]ferrocene was found to undergo ligand-exchange reactions with group 6 metal carbonyl complexes along with the E-to-Z isomerization of the diphosphene moieties, leading to the formation of the corresponding 1,1 and W). The molecular structures of these complexes were determined by spectroscopic analyses ( 1 H, 13 C, and 31 P NMR spectra, and UV-vis spectra), and that of the tungsten complex was determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Several types of d ! à P=P electron transitions due to the iron and group 6 metals were detected by using UV-vis spectroscopy, and these results were supported by theoretical calculations.The chemistry of heavier congeners of azo-compound (-N=N-) has been studied extensively for more than 25 years, 1 since the pioneering synthesis and isolation of the first stable diphosphene bearing 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl groups (Mes à P=PMes à ), reported by Yoshifuji and co-workers. Nowadays, it is well-known that diphosphenes, which have relatively low-lying à orbitals, readily undergo one-electron reduction to give their anion-radical species. 3 We have reported the synthesis of novel doubly bonded systems between heavier group 15 elements (dipnictenes), that is, diphosphene, distibene (-Sb=Sb-), dibismuthene (-Bi=Bi-), phosphabismuthene (-P=Bi-), and stibabismuthene (-Sb=Bi-), by taking advantage of bulky protecting groups, such as 2,4,6-tris[bis-(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl (Tbt) and 2,6-bis[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]-4-[tris(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl (Bbt) groups (Fig. 1). 4 Furthermore, the redox properties of (E)-BbtE=EBbt (E ¼ P, Sb, and Bi) have been systematically elucidated based on cyclic voltammetry and DFT calculations, and the solidstate structure of the first stable anion radical species of (E)-BbtSb=SbBbt has also been reported. 4i,4k Low-coordinated species of heavier group 15 elements have attracted much interest due to their low-lying à levels compared with diazenes (-N=N-) from two reasons: (i) their electrochemical properties 3 and (ii) coordination ability toward transition metals. (Fig. 2), and its absorption band 1884 Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. Vol. 80, No. 10, 1884-1900 (2007 Ó 2007 The Chemical Society of Japan BCSJ Award Article