Transition metal complexes containing sulfur ligands, and polylefin production processes using them

A metal complex comprising a bidentate or tridentate, dithioether ligand corresponding to the formula:

• 4
• wherein:
• E is a divalent ligand group containing one or more Group 14, 15 or 16 elements and optionally E may be bonded to M, said optional bond being indicated by →, and further optionally, (R1)2C-(E)e-C(R3)2 collectively may be a 1,2-benzenediyl group;
• e is 0 or 1;
• M is a transition metal selected from groups 3-10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements;
• R1, R2, R3 and R4 each occurrence are hydrogen, halogen, or a multiatomic group of up to 20 atoms not counting hydrogen, selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbyl;
• halocarbyl;
• halohydrocarbyl;
• hydrocarbyloxy;
• N,N-dihydrocarbylamino;
• N,N-hydrocarbyleneamino;
• dihydrocarbylphosphino;
• hydrocarbylenephosphino;
• trihydrocarbylsilyl;
• trihyhdrocarbylgermyl;
• and dihydrocarbylamino-, dihydrocarbylphosphino-, trihydrocarbylsilyl-, or trihalohydrocarbylsilyl- substituted derivatives thereof, and optionally R1 may be joined to R2, and further optionally R3 may be joined to R4, thereby forming ring structures;
• X is a monovalent or divalent ligand group;
• and
• n is an integer from 2 to 4 selected to provide charge balance.