Synthesis and ethylene polymerization activity of a novel, highly active single-component binuclear neutral nickel(II) catalyst

The novel binuclear neutral nickel(II) complex [((2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3))NCH)C6H3ONi(PPh3)Ph](2) (5), based on the 3,3'-bisalicylaldimine ligand, has been synthesized in high yield, and its structure has been confirmed by X-ray crystallography, elemental analysis, and H-1 NMR and 13 C NMR spectra. Used in the polymerization of ethylene as an active single-component catalyst, the complex exhibited a high catalytic activity of up to 4.55 x 10(5) g of PEA(mol of Ni) h), and polyethylenes with a weight-average molecular weight ((M) over bar (w)) of up to 487.7 kg/ mol and relatively broad molecular weight distribution ((M) over bar (w)/(M) over bar (n) = 2.8-3.8) were produced.