The formation and reactivity of the zirconium ethylene complexes R[P2Cp]Zr(η2-CH2=CH2)(X) (2a: R = Pri, X = Br; 2b: R = Me, X = Br; 4a: R = Pri, X = C5H5; R[P2Cp] = (η5-C5H3-1,3-(SiMe2CH2PR2)2)) are described. Ethylene complexes 2a and 2b are prepared from a reaction of R[P2Cp]ZrCl3 (1a: R = Pri; 1b: R = Me) with 2 equiv of EtMgBr, presumably via β-H elimination from the diethyl intermediate R[P2Cp]ZrCl(CH2CH3)2. The structure of 2b was determined by X-ray crystallography. Addition of carbon monoxide to 16-electron 2 displaces the ethylene ligand to generate the carbonyl complex R[P2Cp]Zr(CO)2Br (5a: R = Pri; 5b: R = Me), which is stable only under an atmosphere of CO. The corresponding CO reaction with 18-electron 4a to give the metallocene monocarbonyl analogue Pr[P2Cp]Zr(η5-C5H5)(CO) (6a) is considerably slower. 2a exhibits fluxional exchange of one carbonyl ligand with bulk 13CO in solution; the kinetic parameters for this exchange process are ΔH = 9.2(5) kcal mol1 and ΔS = 17(2) cal mol1 K1. The addition of diphenylacetylene to 2a yields the alkyne complex Pr[P2Cp]Zr(η2-PhCCPh)Br (7a), which exists in solution as two isomers in equilibrium. A solid-state X-ray structure determination for the minor isomer syn-7a was performed.Key words: zirconium, cyclopentadienyl phosphine, alkyne, metallocyclopropane.