Iminopyridine Manganese and Nickel Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization and Behavior in the Polymerization of 1,3-Butadiene

Some novel manganese and nickel complexes were synthesized by reacting manganese(II) dichloride and nickel(II) dichloride with pyridyl-imine ligands differing in the nature of the substituents at the imino nitrogen atom. All the complexes were characterized by analytical and infrared data: for some of them single crystals were obtained, and their molecular structure was determined by X-ray diffraction. The complexes were used in association with methylaluminoxane (MAO) for the polymerization of 1,3-butadiene obtaining active and selective catalysts giving predominantly 1,2 polybutadiene in case of manganese catalysts and exclusively cis -1,4 polybutadiene in case of nickel catalysts.