New side-on bound dinitrogen complexes of zirconium supported by an arene-bridged diamidophosphine ligand and their reactivity with dihydrogen.

A new dinitrogen complex, deep blue-green {[NPN]*Zr(THF)}(2)(mu-eta(2):eta(2)-N(2)) ([NPN]* = {[N-(2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2))(2-N-5-MeC(6)H(3))](2)PPh}), was prepared in high yield by the reduction of [NPN]*ZrCl(2) with 2.2 equiv of KC(8) in THF under N(2). The solid-state molecular structure shows that N(2) is strongly activated (N-N bond length: 1.

Highly selective chromium-based ethylene trimerisation catalysts with bulky diphosphinoamine ligands.

In situ prepared chromium catalysts containing bulky diphosphinoamine (PNP) ligands, upon activation with MAO, are extremely efficient catalysts for the trimerisation of ethylene to 1-hexene.

Ethylene tetramerization: a new route to produce 1-octene in exceptionally high selectivities.

Linear alpha-olefins, such as 1-hexene and 1-octene, are important comonomers in the production of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE). The conventional method of producing 1-hexene and 1-octene is by oligomerization of ethylene, which yields a wide spectrum of linear alpha-olefins (LAOs). While there exists several processes for producing 1-hexene via ethylene trimerization, a similar route for the selective production of 1-octene has so far been elusive.