Nickel complexes with "click"-derived pyridyl-triazole ligands: weak intermolecular interactions and catalytic ethylene oligomerisation.

The ligands 1-(cyclohexyl)-4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole (1), 1-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole (2), 1-(4-butoxyphenyl)-4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole (3) and 1-(methyl)-4-(2-pyridyl)-1,2,3-triazole (4) were synthesized by the Cu(I) catalyzed "Click" reaction between 2-pyridylacetylene and the corresponding azides. The ligands were then reacted with NiBr(2)·3H(2)O to generate the complexes (1)(2)NiBr(2) (1a), (2)(2)NiBr(2) (2a), (3)(2)NiBr(2) (3a) and (4)(2)NiBr(2) (4a). Structural characterization of 1a confirmed the mononuclear and distorted octahedral environment around the Ni(II) center, with the pyridyl-triazole ligands coordinating in a bis-chelating fashion. Bond length analysis inside the 1,2,3-triazole ring shows a short N=N double bond that is flanked by two longer C-N and N-N bonds pointing to the existence of "azo" character in the ring. The highly polar five-membered 1,2,3-triazole ring makes its C-H bond acidic, and these bonds participate in an extended weak intermolecular C-H···Br interactions with the Br-groups of neighboring molecules, resulting in a 3-D network. The nickel complexes with these "Click" ligands were tested as pre-catalysts for ethylene oligomerization, and the complexes showed moderate activity in that reaction with good selectivity towards C4 oligomers.