Cationic η3-allyl sulfide complexes of nickel(II) for the polymerization of butadiene in aqueous emulsion

Dimeric allyl-nickel chloro complex [Ni(η3-C3H5)(μ-Cl)]2 reacts with sulfur donor ligands in the presence of NaBAr4F (Ar4F = 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3) to give the corresponding cationic mononuclear complexes of the type [Ni(η3-C3H5)(L)2]+ (L = diphenyl sulfide, 4,4′-thiodiphenol, 4,4′-thio-bis(6-tert-butyl-o-cresol), 4,4′-thio-bis (6-tert-butyl-m-cresol)). The use of these complexes as catalysts in aqueous emulsion polymerization was studied.