A sterically protected 1,4-diphospha-1,3-butadiene was prepared from t
he copper-mediated coupling reaction of 2,2-dichloro-1-(2,4 ,6-tri-t-b
utylphenyl)-1-phosphaethene. The X-ray crystallographic analysis shows
that the molecule has a center of symmetry and that each of the bulky
phenyl groups tilts almost perpendicularly to the diphosphabutadiene
system serving as a good protecting group.