Patent ID: 7256296

Claim:
A metal-ligand complex characterized by the formula: wherein M is a metal selected from the group consisting of groups 3-6 and lanthanides of the periodic table of elements; R 1 is an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl or heteroatom containing hydrocarbyl; T is a bridging group of the general formula -(T′R 2 R 3 ) n —, wherein each T′ is independently selected from the group consisting of carbon and silicon, R 2 and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, and optionally substituted alkyl, heteroalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, silyl, boryl, phosphino, amino, alkylthio, arylthio, and combinations thereof, and n is 1 or 2, provided that two or more R 2 and/or R 3 groups may be joined together to form one or more optionally substituted ring systems, and that one or more T′ atoms may be involved in a double bond to a neighboring group and correspondingly be bonded to only a single R 2 or R 3 substituent; J is an optionally substituted heterocyclic group containing a five-membered heterocycle, the five-membered heterocycle including at least one but no more than four heteroatoms and including a nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, sulfur, or carbene in a ring position adjacent to the ring atom bonded to T, wherein the nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, sulfur, or carbene in the ring position adjacent to the ring atom bonded to T is bonded to M via a dative bond, provided that if the five-membered heterocycle includes a nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, or sulfur in the ring position adjacent to the bond to T, the five-membered heterocycle contains at least two heteroatoms; x is 1 or 2; each L is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, optionally substituted alkyl, heteroalkyl, allyl, diene, alkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, heteroalkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, boryl, silyl, amino, phosphino, ether, thioether, phosphine, amine, carboxylate, alkylthio, arylthio, 1,3-dionate, oxalate, carbonate, nitrate, sulphate, and combinations thereof, provided that optionally, two or more L groups are joined into a ring structure and that one or more of the ligands L may be ionically bonded to the metal M; and m′ is 1,2,3, or 4.