Catalytic ethylene dimerization and oligomerization: recent developments with nickel complexes containing P,N-chelating ligands.

Catalytic ethylene oligomerization represents a topic of considerable current academic and industrial interest, in particular for the production of linear alpha-olefins in the C4-C10 range, whose demand is growing fast. Identifying and fine-tuning the parameters that influence the activity and selectivity of metal catalysts constitute major challenges at the interface between ligand design, coordination/organometallic chemistry, and homogeneous catalysis. In this Account, we show how comparative studies aiming at modulating the coordinating properties of functional ligands for a metal, such as nickel, which is used in industrial processes, lead to beneficial effects in catalytic ethylene oligomerization.