Abstract It is shown that phosphonium salts of the type (C 6 H 5) 3 P⊕ CH 2 COCH 3 X⊖(X= Cl, Br, J, SCN and SeCN) can be oxidised with lead tetraacetate to ketophosphorylenes (C 6 H 5) 3 P= CXCOR. R can be an unsaturated group. To the best of our knowledge reactions of this nature with lead tetraacetate have not hitherto been described. A preliminary investigation of the lead tetraacetate oxydation of phosphonium salts of the general ...