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 Et2AlCl, exhibit good catalytic activities toward ethylene oligomerization with major dimerization.