Understanding the Insertion Pathways and Chain Walking Mechanisms of α-Diimine Nickel Catalysts for α-Olefin Polymerization: A ¹³C NMR Spectroscopic Investigation

Nickel α-diimine catalysts have been previously shown to perform the chain straightening polymerization of α-olefins to produce materials with melting temperatures (Tm) similar to linear low density polyethylene (Tm = 100–113 °C). Branching defects due to mechanistic errors during the polymerization currently hinder access to high density polyethylene (Tm = 135 °C) from α-olefins. Understanding the intricacies of nickel α-diimine catalyzed...