2-(7-methyl-1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)-6-(1-aryliminoethyl)pyridinylnickel complexes: Synthesis, characterization and their ethylene oligomerization

A series of 2-(methyl-substituted-1H-benzoimidazol-2-yl)-6-(1-aryliminoethyl)pyridines ( L1–L6 ) were synthesized and used as N^N^N tridentate ligands for their nickel complexes ( C1–C12 ). All ligands were fully characterized by elemental, NMR and IR spectroscopic analyses, while their nickel complexes were characterized by elemental and IR spectroscopic analyses. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that the complexes C1 , C3 and C9 have distorted octahedral geometry around the Ni center. All nickel complexes, activated with Et 2 AlCl, exhibit good catalytic activities toward ethylene oligomerization with major dimerization.