A Strange Nickel(I)−Nickel(0) Binuclear Complex and Its Unexpected Ethylene Oligomerization

The unusual heterovalent bimetallic NiI−Ni0 complex {[η-C5H4CHN(C6F5)]Fe[η-C5H4PPh2]}2Ni2(Cl) (2) was isolated from the reaction between [η-C5H4CHN(C6F5)]Fe[η-C5H4PPh2] (1) and Ni(COD)2 in the presence of AlEtCl2 or AlCl3. Complex 2 has been crystallographically characterized and theoretically analyzed; it is catalytically active (TOF 90 500) and selective (91%) toward the formation of C4 oligomers from ethylene (300 psi) at 30 °C, the only other significant isomer formed being C6.