Trapping the Short-Chain Odd Carbon Number Olefins Using Nickel(II)-catalyzed Tandem Ethylene Oligomerization and Friedel-Crafts Alkylation of Toluene

11 December 2020, Version 1

Abstract

Nickel(II) complexes with pyrazole-based ligands are widely employed in catalysis of ethylene
oligomerization and subsequent Friedel-Crafts alkylation of toluene. We have prepared ten new
nickel(II) dibromide complexes with various substituted bis(azolyl)methanes. They have been
characterized using 1H NMR, IR, MALDI-TOF and elemental analysis. The structures of three
complexes have been unambiguously established using X-ray diffraction. It was found that these
complexes in the presence of Et2AlCl or Et3Al2Cl3 are active both in ethylene oligomerization and
Friedel-Crafts alkylation processes (activity up to 3720 kgoligomer·mol[Ni]−1·h−1). The use of Et3Al2Cl3
results in the higher share of alkylated products (up to 60%). Moreover, catalytic systems activated with
Et3Al2Cl3 produced small amounts of odd carbon number olefins (up to 0.8%). The Friedel-Crafts
alkylation was used as a trap for previously undetected short-chain odd carbon number olefins (C3 and
C5).

Keywords

ethylene
oligomerization
Friedel-Crafts alkylation
nickel(II) complexes
bis(azolyl)methane
odd carbon number olefins

Supplementary materials

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