Investigations on the preparation of four- and five-coordinate aluminum and gallium bis(amidophosphine) derivatives are reported. The reaction of the macrocyclic ligand precursor anti-Li(2)(THF)(2)[P(2)N(2)] ([P(2)N(2)] = [PhP(CH(2)SiMe(2)NSiMe(2)CH(2))(2)PPh]) with AlCl(3) or GaCl(3) in toluene at 25 degrees C leads to the formation of the four-coordinate species anti-MCl[P(2)N(2)] (M = Al (1), Ga (2)). An X-ray diffraction study of anti-GaCl[P(2)N(2)] shows it to be monomeric with a distorted tetrahedral geometry at Ga; only one of the phosphine donors of the [P(2)N(2)] ligand binds to the gallium, resulting in the retention of the anti-configuration. The solution NMR spectra are consistent with C(s)() symmetry. The addition of AlCl(3) or GaCl(3) to the macrocyclic ligand precursor syn-Li(2)(dioxane)[P(2)N(2)] in toluene at 25 degrees C yields the five-coordinate complexes syn-MCl[P(2)N(2)] (M = Al (3), Ga (4)). The X-ray crystal structure of syn-GaCl[P(2)N(2)] reveals a trigonal bipyramidal geometry about the metal atom, necessitating the coordination of both phosphorus atoms. The solution NMR spectra are consistent with a C(2)(v)() symmetric complex. Heating the anti complexes results in the clean conversion to the syn complexes, with pyramidal inversion observed at phosphorus. The kinetics of this inversion were studied by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and found to be first-order. Barriers to pyramidal inversion (DeltaG()) were calculated to be 29.1 and 30.1 kcal mol(-)(1) for the aluminum and gallium complexes, respectively; these barriers are approximately 2-3 kcal mol(-)(1) lower than that determined for the metal-free, protonated compounds anti- and syn-H(2)[P(2)N(2)]. It is suggested that the role that the metals play in this inversion, based on the values of DeltaG(), involves the large negative entropies of activation and thus help organize the transition state.