2,6-Dibenzhydryl-N-(2-phenyliminoacenaphthylenylidene)-4-methylbenzenamine Nickel Dibromides: Synthesis, Characterization, and Ethylene Polymerization

A series of 2,6-dibenzhydryl-N-(2-phenyliminoacenaphthylenylidene)-4-methylbenzenamines (L1−L5) and the nickel(II) dibromide complexes thereof (C1−C5) were synthesized and fully characterized. The molecular structures of representative complexes were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and revealed a distorted-pyramidal geometry at nickel. All nickel(II) procatalysts exhibited very high activity for the polymerization of ethylene, with activities as high as the range of 10⁷ g of PE (mol of Ni)⁻¹ h⁻¹.