Patent ID: 7199074

Claim:
A catalytic composition comprising at least one cationic metal-pair complex, wherein: said cationic metal-pair complex comprises at least one metal atom pair, said pair comprising a first metal atom, M 1 , and a second metal atom, M 2 ; said first metal atom and said second metal atom of said pair have a through-space internuclear distance of at least 1.5 Angstroms and no more than 20 Angstroms; and said cationic metal-pair complex is a complex according to formula I, wherein: M 1 represents a first metal atom selected from iron, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, chromium, and manganese; L 1 represents a set of first ligands; L2 represents a set of second ligands; L3 represents a set of third ligands; R1 represents a set of first anionic hydrocarbyl containing radicals; R2 represents a set of second anionic hydrocarbyl containing radicals; S1 represents a set of first labile ligands; S2 represents a set of second labile ligands; A1–A8 each represent a set of coordination bonds; WCA represents a weakly coordinating anion; a, b, h, k, m, and p are each selected from 0 and 1; α, β, and c each equal 1; d, r, and t are each selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4; f is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5; 1≦m+p≦2; the sum d+f+r+t=5; and sum e+g+s+u=4, 5, or 6; and wherein: when the sum e+g+s+u=4, M 2 represents a second metal atom selected from nickel, palladium, copper, iron, cobalt, rhodium, chromium, and manganese; e, s, and u are each selected from 0, 1, 2, and 3; g is selected from 1, 2, 3, and 4; 0≦d+e≦6; 1≦r+s≦6; 0≦t+u≦6; and 2≦f+g≦8; when the sum e+g+s+u=5, M 2 represents a second metal atom selected from iron, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, chromium, and manganese; e, s, and u are each selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4; g is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5; 0≦d+e≦7; 1≦r+s≦7; 0≦t+u≦7; and 2f+g≦9; or when the sum e+g+s+u=6, M 2 represents a second metal atom selected from copper, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, rhodium, chromium, and manganese; e, s, and u are each selected from 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5; g is selected from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; 0≦d+e≦8; 1≦r+s≦8; 0≦t+u≦8; and 2≦f+g≦10.