Ethylene/Polar Norbornene Copolymerizations by Bimetallic Salicylaldimine−Nickel Catalysts

Bimetallic salicylaldimine−nickel complexes, bridge{[(2,6-iPr2C6H2)-NCH-(2-anthracenyl-C6H3-O)-κ2-N,O]Ni(η3-CH2Ph)}2 (bridge = ortho-C6H4, 10; bridge = CH2, 11; bridge = ortho-C6H4(C6H4)2, 12), are prepared. The bimetallic complexes 10−12 show higher activities and higher polar monomer incorporations in the ethylene/2-(methoxycarbonyl)norbornene and ethylene/2-(acetoxymethyl)norbornene copolymerizations than the mononuclear complex, [(2,6-iPr2C6H3)-NCH-(2-anthracenyl-C6H3-O)-κ2-N,O]Ni(η3-CH2Ph) (13).