Patent ID: 7696123

Claim:
A method comprising: a) mixing a phosphorous compound with a nickel complex comprising nickel bonded to a heteroatom, to thereby form a nickel-phosphorous-containing mixture; and b) contacting said nickel-phosphorus-containing mixture with a supported partially hydrolyzed alkylaluminum compound, thereby forming a nickel-containing composition that has an activity sufficient for at least 84% selectivity to hexenes in conversion of propene, wherein said nickel complex comprises at least one compound having the following structure: wherein: R is selected from alkyl, aryl, alkenyl, hydrogen, and combinations thereof, any of which optionally can be partially oxidized or partially substituted by nitrogen-functional groups having the general formulas OH, OR, and NH y R z , respectively; y=3−z; and z ranges from 1 to 3.