Novel dinuclear oxovanadium(IV) complexes with tris(mu-phosphinato)-bridges, [(VO)(2)(dpp)(3)(bpy)(2)]NO3 . H2O (1), [(VO)(2)(dpp)(2)(phen)(3)]NO3 . H2O (2) and [(VO)(2)(bmp)(3)(bpy)(2)]NO3 . H2O (3) (Hdpp = diphenylphosphinic acid, Hbmp bis(4-methoxyphenyl)phosphinic acid, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, phen 1,10-phenanthroline), have been prepared and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. Crystal structures of complexes 1 and 3 have revealed that two vanadium ions in each molecule are linked by tris(mu-phosphinato)bridges, Magnetic susceptibility data for 1-3 conform to the usual dimer equation with the -2J values of 16-21 cm(-1), indicating weak antiferromagnetic interaction is operative between vanadium(IV) ions.