Synthesis and Ethylene Polymerization Activity of a Novel, Highly Active Single-Component Binuclear Neutral Nickel(II) Catalyst

Abstract

The novel binuclear neutral nickel(II) complex [((2,6-iPr2C6H3)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 1H NMR and 13C 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 × 105 g of PE/((mol of Ni) h), and polyethylenes with a weight-average molecular weight (M̄w) of up to 487.7 kg/mol and relatively broad molecular weight distribution (M̄w/M̄n = 2.8−3.8) were produced.