Abstract
The reactions of trialkylmetalphosphines R3MPR'2 (M = Si, Ge, Sn) with the cyclic ethers lead, by cleavage and insertion on the metal-phosphorus bond, to dialkylphosphinoalcoxysilanes, germanes and stannanes. The silylphosphines are more reactive than isolog germyl- and stannylphosphines in this type of reaction, and only silylphosphines cleave the tetrahydrofuran