Patent ID: 7268233

Claim:
Transition metal complex of the formula (I) L 1 -M-L 2 (I) where M is a nickel, palladium or platinum atom, L 1 is a ligand having at least one electron-deficient olefinic double bond carrying one, two, three or four substituents, each substituent having an electronegativity greater than that of a hydrogen substituent, and L 2 is a monodentate carbene ligand of the formula (II) or (III) in which the R 1 and R 2 radicals are each independently an alkyl radical including a cycloalkyl radical, an aryl radical or heteroaryl radical, each of which may optionally be substituted, and the R 3 to R 6 radicals are each independently selected from a hydrogen or halogen atom, —NO 2 , —CN, —COOH, —CHO, —SO 3 H, —SO 2 —(C 1 -C 8 )alkyl, —SO—(C 1 -C 8 )alkyl, —NH—(C 1 -C 8 )alkyl, —N((C 1 -C 8 )alkyl) 2 , —NHCO—(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —CF 3 , —COO—(C 1 -C 8 )alkyl, —CONH 2 , —CO—(C 1 -C 8 )alkyl, —NHCOH, —NH—COO—(C 1 -C 4 )alkyl, —CO—phenyl, —COO—phenyl, —CH═CH—CO 2 —(C 1 -C 8 )alkyl, —CH═CHCO 2 H, —PO(phenyl) 2 , —PO((C 1 -C 8 )alkyl) 2 , an optionally substituted alkyl radical, an optionally substituted aryl radical, or an optionally substituted heteroaryl radical, or at least two of the R 3 to R 6 radicals together with the carbon atoms to which they are bonded form a 4- to 12-membered ring.