A tridentate diphenolate phosphine ligand H2[OPO] (bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxyphenyl)phenylphosphine) has been synthesized in high yield. Treatment of H2[OPO] with Ti(OEt)4 in toluene at room temperature produced reddish orange crystalline Ti[OPO]2. The bis-ligand complex Ti[OPO]2 also be obtained from the in situ lithiation of H2[OPO] in THF or toluene followed by addition of TiCl4(THF)2. The reactions of MCl2[N(SiMe3)2]2 (M = Zr, Hf) with H2[OPO] in pentane at room temperature generated cleanly [OPO]2Zr(H2O) and [OPO]2Hf(H2O), respectively, in high yield. Treatment of TiCl4(THF)2 with Ti[OPO]2 in toluene afforded [OPO]TiCl2(THF). The solution and solid-state structures of Ti[OPO]2, [OPO]TiCl2(THF), [OPO]2Zr(H2O) and [OPO]2Hf(H2O) were studied by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. lithiation of H2[OPO] with n-BuLi in DME solution afforded [OPO]Li2(DME)2. The metathetical reactions of H2[OPO] with NaH or KH in DME solutions, respectively, produced the corresponding complexes [OPO]Na2(DME)2 and {[OPO]K2(DME)2}2. Both [OPO]Li2(DME)2 and [OPO]Na2(DME)2 are highly active catalysts for ring-opening polymerization of caprolactone. A series of tetravalent tin complexes [OPO]SnX2 (X = Cl, Me, n-Bu) also be obtained from the in situ lithiation of H2[OPO] in THF followed by addition of SnCl2X2. A divalent tin complexe [OPO]Sn also be obtained by analogous way from the in situ lithiation of H2[OPO] in pentane followed by addition of SnCl2.