Patent ID: 7968487

Claim:
A catalyst for the polymerization and co-polymerization of an olefin, comprising the general formula where: M is a late transition metal ion selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, Ni, Pd and Cu, A is oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, or sulfur, B is nitrogen or phosphorus, C′ is nitrogen, phosphorus, or carbon, L is a saturated or unsaturated bridging hydrocarbon or aromatic unit, R and R′ are each independently a C 1 -C 24 hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkene, hydrocarbyl, cycloalkyl, aryl and substituted aryl; wherein the aryl substituents may be functionalized groups that increase or decrease the electron density or modify the steric encumbrance at C′, R″ is a hydrocarbon, L′ represents a neutral monodentate 2e − N-base donor ligand, or a neutral monodentate 2e − O-base ligand, R″′ is a hydrocarbon, R″′ and L′ may be combined into a single chelating fragment, R v =R only when A=phosphorous or nitrogen, and is nothing when A=oxygen or sulfur, n=0-3, and whereby said catalyst is phosphine-free and non-ionic.