Highly resilient polyethylene elastomers prepared using α‐diimine nickel catalyst with highly conjugated backbone

An α‐diimine nickel catalyst (Cat‐1) with highly conjugated acenaphthylene backbone was synthesized and used in ethylene polymerization. Compared with typical Brookhart catalyst B‐Cat, Cat‐1 could produce polyethylene with both higher molecular weight (up to 5.1 × 10 5 g mol −1 ) and branching density (up to 135 branches per 1000 carbons) in good polymerization activity. The polyethylene prepared using Cat‐1 with higher molecular weight and branching density possessed exceptional mechanical properties (ultimate tensile strength and elongation at break could reach 12.08 MPa and 1148%) and outstanding elastomeric recovery as compared with the polymer prepared using B‐Cat. Cat‐1 was synthesized using a simple reaction route and the polymerization conditions were suitable for the industrial polymerization process. The novel nickel catalyst Cat‐1 is promising for producing highly resilient polyethylene elastomers industrially.