LAUSR

A series of Ni(II) complexes with the general formula [2-((NEt2)Me)-8-{N(Ar)}C9H8N]NiCl2, where Ar = 2,6-Me2C6H3 in Ni1, 2,6-Et2C6H3 in Ni2, 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3 in Ni3, 2,4,6-Me3C6H2 in Ni4, 2,6-Et2-4-MeC6H2 in Ni5, and 2,4,6-t-Bu3C6H2 in Ni6, has been prepared using a one-pot reaction of 2-(N,N-diethylaminomethyl)-6,7-dihydroquinolin-8(5H)-one with the corresponding aniline and nickel dichloride hexahydrate. The resultant complexes were characterized using elemental analysis and FT-IR spectroscopy, while the mononuclear Ni1 and Ni3 were also the subject of single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. On activation with MMAO, the complexes Ni1–Ni6 displayed good activity in ethylene oligomerization, forming hexenes (ca. 48% 1-hexene) as the major products and exhibiting thermal stability up to 50 °C under 10 atm C2H4. When MAO was applied as the cocatalyst, lower activity was observed, but the catalyst showed higher selectivity toward ethylene dimerization. It is also worth noticing that an induction period was observed as the Ni/MAO catalysts reached their peak activity after 30 min.