A diazaphosphacycle may be synthesized by reacting a phosphine with a diimine and optionally one or more equivalents of an acid halide, a sulfonyl halide, a phosphoryl halide, or an acid anhydride in the substantial absence of O2 to form the diazaphosphacycle. The phosphine has the formula R1—PH2 where R1 is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl group, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl group, or a substituted or unsubstituted ferrocenyl group.