Neutral and cationic nickel (II) complexes of phosphino-amines: [NiCl2(PMe2Ph)(PNMe2)] and [NiCl(PMe2Ph) (PNMe2)]PF6 (PNMe2 = N,N?-dimethyl-2-(diphenylphosphino) aniline)

A neutral bidentate P,N-ligand combining a hard dimethylamino nitrogen and a soft phosphine phosphorus donor affords the neutral trigonal bipyramidal as well as the cationic square-planar nickel(II) complexes CU-[NiCl2(PMe2Ph) (PNMe2) ] and [NiCl(PMe2Ph) (PNMe2) ]PF6, respectively. The latter species exhibits an appreciable catalytic activity in propylene oligomerization in the presence of Et2AlCl as co-catalyst.