Di
nuclear, divale
nt acetylaceto
nato (acac) complexes of the type [M(acac){
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/mgr.gif">-C
6H
2(
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/bo
ndDot.gif">NR)
4}M(acac)] (M = Ni, Pd)have bee
n prepared by the reactio
n of the correspo
ndi
ng bis(acac) metal precursor with 2,5-diami
no-1,4-be
nzoqui
no
nediimi
nes C
6H
2(NHR)
2(=NR)
2 (
4a, R = CH
2-
t-Bu;
4b, R = CH
2Ph;
4c, R = Ph), which are metalateda
nd become bridgi
ng liga
nds, also like i
n the complex [(C
8H
11)Pt{
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/mgr.gif">-C
6H
2(
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/bo
ndDot.gif">NCH
2-
t-Bu)
4}Pt(C
8H
11)] (
6) obtai
nedby the reactio
n of
4a with [PtCl
2(COD)]. The complexes were fully characterized, i
ncludi
ng by X-ray diffractio
n for[Ni(acac){
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/mgr.gif">-C
6H
2(
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/bo
ndDot.gif">NCH
2Ph)
4}Ni(acac)] (
9b) a
nd [Pd(acac){
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/mgr.gif">-C
6H
2(
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/bo
ndDot.gif">NCH
2-
t-Bu)
4}Pd(acac)] (
10a). The coordi
natio
n geometry arou
nd the metal io
ns is square-pla
nar, a
nd a complete electro
nic delocalizatio
n of the qui
no
noid
![](/images/gifchars/pi.gif)
system occurs betwee
n the metal ce
nters over the two N
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/bo
ndDot.gif">C
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/bo
ndDot.gif">C
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/bo
ndDot.gif">C
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/bo
ndDot.gif">N halves of the liga
nd. The
nature of theN substitue
nt explai
ns the differe
nces betwee
n the supramolecular stacki
ng arra
ngeme
nts fou
nd for [Ni(acac){
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/mgr.gif">-C
6H
2(
![](/images/e<font color=)
ntities/bo
ndDot.gif">NR)
4}Ni(acac)] (
9a; R = CH
2-
t-Bu;
9b, R = CH
2Ph). The Ni complexes were evaluated as catalyst precursorsfor ethyle
ne oligomerizatio
n i
n the prese
nce of AlEtCl
2 or MAO as the cocatalyst, i
n particular i
n order to studypossible cooperative effects resulti
ng from electro
nic commu
nicatio
n betwee
n the metal ce
nters a
nd to exami
nethe i
nflue
nce of the N substitue
nt o
n the activity a
nd selectivity. These catalysts afforded mostly ethyle
ne dimersa
nd trimers.