Several attempts to recover phospholes from phosphacymantrenes are described. UV irradiation gives 1,1'-biphospholes when the ring carries two phenyl substituents. Lithium reduction appears to give somewhat erratic results. E.-Co-attack by phenyllithium leads to eta (4)-anionic complexes derived from the corresponding 1-phenylphospholes. Quite surprisingly, this attack by phenyllithium is compatible with a carbonyl fonctionality on the ring. These anionic complexes yield eta (4)-phospholium derivatives upon quaternization of phosphorus with BrCH(2)CH(2)Z (Z = CN, COOEt). One of these phospholium complexes has been caracterized by X-ray crystal structure analysis. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.