The 2,6-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)phenol-P,P'-dioxides, [Ph2P(O)CH2](2)C6H2(R)OH, with R = H (2a), Br (2b), Me (2c), Bu-1 (2d), were prepared via Arbusov reactions between Ph2POEt and the phenol derivatives (ClCH2)(CH2)-C-2-H-6(R)OH. The compounds have been characterized by spectroscopic methods, and their coordination chemistry with lanthanide nitrates, Ln(NO3)(3), has been surveyed. The 1:1 complexes [Er(2c)(NO3)(3)](Me2CO)-Me-. and [Nd(2d)(NO3)(3).Me2CO].Me2CO have been structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods, and the ligands found to act as neutral tridentate chelates. No evidence was found for the formation of 2:1 L:M complexes suggesting that these derivatives of 2 are weaker chelators than the related 2,6-bis(diphenylphosphinomethyl)pyridine N,P,P'-trioxide chelates.