Abstract
Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)-supported nickel (II) carborane complex, ([
closo-1-Ni(PPh
3)
2-2-Me-3-((CH
2)
4NH-)-η
5-2,3-C
2B
9H
9][OEt])
n
(SWCNT) (
3) has been synthesized by the reaction of in situ prepared
nido-C
2B
9-carborane-functionalized SWCNTs,
(
[
Na
+
]
[
1
‐
Me
‐
2
‐
(
(
CH
2
)
4
NH
‐
)
‐
1
,
2
‐
C
2
B
9
H
10
−
]
[
OEt
]
)
n
(
SWCNT
)
(
1) with dichlorobis(triphenylphosphine)nickel (II) (
2). Reaction of
closo-1-Me-1,2-C
2B
10H
11 (
4) with
n-butyllithium followed by treatment with 1-bromopentane results in the formation of
closo-1-Me-2-pentyl-1,2-C
2B
10H
10 (
5) in 91% yield. After decapitation of (
5) with sodium hydroxide in refluxing ethanol, the salt Na[
nido-7-Me-8-pentyl-7,8-C
2B
9H
10] (
6) has been obtained in 77% yield. For the purpose of comparison of catalytic activity, homogeneous analogue
closo-1-Ni(PPh
3)
2-2-Me-3-Pentyl-η
5-2,3-C
2B
9H
9 (
7) has been prepared in 83% from its
nido-precursor (
6). The above synthesized nickel complexes (
3) and (
7) have been tested as moderately active catalysts for olefin polymerization in the presence of the co-catalyst MAO.