Patent ID: 6855657

Claim:
A catalyst prepared by a process comprising: contacting a transition metal salt, or a complex thereof, and a ligand selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the formula or its enantiomer: wherein each X and X′ is independently selected from the group consisting of: alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl, substituted aryl, OR, SR, NR 2 , COOR, halide, SiR 3 , P(O)R 2 , P(O)(OR) 2 and P(OR) 2 ; wherein each Z and Z 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of: alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl, substituted aryl, OR, SR, NR 2 , COOR, halide, SiR 3 , P(O)R 2 , P(O)(OR) 2 and P(OR) 2 ; or wherein Z and Z 1 together form the bridging group A-B-A 1 ; wherein each Z′, Z″, Z 1 ′ and Z 1 ′ is independently selected from the group consisting of: H, alkyl, aryl, substituted alkyl, substituted aryl, OR, SR, NR 2 , COOR, halide, SiR 3 , P(O)R 2 , P(O)(OR) 2 and P(OR) 2 ; or wherein Z′ and Z together form the bridging group A′-B-A; Z′ and Z together form a fused cycloaliphatic or aromatic group; Z 1 and Z 1 ′ together form the bridging group A 1 -B 1 -A 1 ′; and/or Z 1 and Z 1 ′ together form a fused cycloaliphatic or aromatic group; wherein each A, A′, A 1 and A 1 ′ is independently selected from the group consisting of: O, CH 2 , NH, NR, S, CO and a bond; wherein each B and B 1 is independently selected from the group consisting of: linear, branched or cyclic alkylene of 1 to 6 carbon atoms, arylene of 6 to 12 carbon atoms, O, CH 2 , NH, NR, S, CO, SO 2 , P(O)R, P(O)OR, POR, SiR 2 and a bond; wherein each T is independently selected from the group consisting of: alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, alkoxide, aryloxide, R, R′, R″, YR′, YR″, Y′R′ and Y″R″; or wherein two T groups together form an alkylene, arylene, alkylenediamino, arylenediamino, alkelenedioxyl or arylenedioxyl; wherein each T′ is independently selected from the group consisting of: alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, alkoxide, aryloxide, R, R′, R″, YR′, YR″, Y′R′ and Y″R″; or wherein two T′ groups together form an alkylene, arylene, alkylenediamino, arylenediamino, alkelenedioxyl or arylenedioxyl; wherein each R, R′ and R″ is independently selected from the group consisting of: alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, aralkyl and alkaryl of 1 to 22 carbon atoms; or wherein two R groups, two R′ groups or two R″ group together form an alkylene or arylene group; wherein each Y, Y′ and Y″ is independently selected from the group consisting of: O, CH 2 , NH, S and a bond between carbon and phosphorus; with the proviso that when the Y group at the 2′ position is a bond between carbon and phosphorus, X′ is hydrogen and wherein each Y is independently selected from the group consisting of: CH 2 and a bond between carbon and phosphorus; with the proviso that when the Y group at the 2′ position is a bond between carbon and phosphorus, X′ is hydrogen.