text: The phosphaethynolate anion is the heavier isoelectronic congener of the cyanate anion. It has been shown that it behaves in a similar way to its lighter analogue, as an ambidentate nucleophile. This ambidentate character of the anion means that it is able to bind via both the phosphorus and oxygen atoms depending on the nature of the centre being coordinated.
  Computational studies carried out on the anion such as Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) and Natural Resonance Theory (NRT) analyses can go part way to explain why PCO can react in such a manner . The two dominant resonance forms of the phosphaethynolate anion localise negative charge on either the phosphorus or oxygen atoms meaning both are sites of nucleophilicity. The same applies for the cyanate anion hence why PCO is observed to have similar pseudo-halogenic behaviour.