Synthesis and reactivity of nickel-hydride amino-bis-phosphinimine complexes.

Cationic hydride complexes [R-N(1,2-CH(2)CH(2)N=PPh(3))(2)NiH][PF(6)] (R = H, Me) are prepared and shown to react with ethylene to produce NiEt complexes and with LiHBEt(3) in bromobenzene to produce NiPh complexes. These species are also thermolysed at 80 °C to orthometallate one of the phenyl groups of the N=PPh(3) substituents.