Method for the production of metal complexes

1. A process for making a metal complex, the process comprising:

reacting a compound of a metal of groups 6 to 10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements with at least one compound selected from the group of compounds having formulae II and III

wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are the same or different and each is a linear, branched, substituted or unsubstituted, cyclic or alicyclic alkyl group having from 1 to 24 carbon atoms; a substituted or unsubstituted, mono- or polycyclic aryl group having from 6 to 24 carbon atoms; or a mono- or polycyclic, substituted or unsubstituted heterocycle having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms and having a heteroatom selected from the group consisting of N, O and S, and R 3 and R 4 are linked by a covalent bond;

wherein R 5 , R 6 and R 7 are optionally the same or different and each is H; a linear, branched, substituted or unsubstituted, cyclic or alicyclic alkyl group having from 1 to 24 carbon atoms; or a substituted or unsubstituted, mono- or polycyclic aryl group having from 6 to 24 carbon atoms, with the proviso that when groups R 3 and R 4 in formula are bonded together to form an imidazole ring, the metal of the metal compound reactant can not be a member of group 10 ;

wherein the at least one compound selected from the group of compounds having formulae II and III is selected from the group of compounds having formulae V, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X

wherein R 8 , R 9 , R 10 and R 11 are the same or different and are each H or have one of the definitions of R 1 ; and

wherein the metal complex made by the process is represented by a formula (I)

in which

Z is a metal complex fragment of the formula:

[L a M b ][A] n   (XI) and

M is a metal of groups 6 to 10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements,

L is one or more identical or different mono- or polydentate, charged or uncharged ligands,

A is a singly charged anion or the chemical equivalent of a multiply charged anion,

b is an integer from 1 to 3,

a is an integer from 0 to 5×b, and

n is an integer from 0 to 6.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein L in formula (XI) is hydrogen, the hydrogen ion, halogens, halogen ions, pseudohalides, carboxylate ions, sulfonate ions, amide radicals, alkyl groups, alkylaryl groups, aryl groups, heteroaryl groups, alkenyl groups, alkoxide radicals, nitriles, isonitriles, mono- or diolefins, alkynes, π-aromatic radicals, cyclopentadienyl, indenyl, phosphines, phosphates, phosphinites, phosphonites, phosphorus aromatics, acetylacetonate, carbon monoxide, nitrogen monoxide or carbene ligands, where the alkyl groups contain from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, the alkenyl and heteroaryl groups from 2 to 24 carbon atoms, and the aryl and alkylaryl groups from 5 to 24 carbon atoms, and optionally are each substituted or unsubstituted.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein A in formula (XI) is halide, pseudohalide, tetraphenylborate, tetratfluoroborate, tetrachloroborate, hexafluorophosphate, hexafluoroantimonate, tetracarbonylcobaltate, hexafluoroferrate, tetrachloroferrate, tetrachloroaluminate, triflate, bistrifluorosulfonylamide, heptachlorodialuminate, tetrachloropalladate, sulfate, hydrogensulfate, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, hydrogenphosphate, dihydrogenphosphate, hydroxide, carbonate, hydrogencarbonate, salt of aromatic or aliphatic carboxylic acid, salt of aromatic or aliphatic sulfonic acid, or phenoxide.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the metal of groups 6 to 10 of the Periodic Table is Ru, Rh, Ni, Pd, or Pt.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a molar ratio of the compound of a metal of groups 6 to 10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements to the at least one compound selected from the group of compounds having formulae II and III is in a range of from 1 to 100.

6. A method of telomerization, comprising:

reacting an olefin with a nucleophile in the presence of a catalyst which is the metal complex made by the process of claim 1 .

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said olefin is a conjugated diolefin and the nucleophile is an aliphatic alcohol.

8. A method, comprising:

conducting a hydroformylation, a hydrogenation, an aryl amination, a hydrosilylation, a Heck reaction, a Suzuki coupling, a Kumada coupling, a Stille coupling, a Miyaura coupling, a Sonogashira coupling, an olefin metathesis, a cyclopropanation, a reduction of a haloarene or a polymerization reaction in the presence of a catalyst of the metal complex made by the process of claim 1 .

9. A process, comprising:

reacting a compound of a metal of groups 6 to 10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds having the formulae V, VII, VIII and X

wherein R 1 and R 2 are the same or different and each is a linear, branched, substituted or unsubstituted, cyclic or alicyclic alkyl group having from 1 to 24 carbon atoms; a substituted or unsubstituted, mono- or polycyclic aryl group having from 6 to 24 carbon atoms; or a mono- or polycyclic, substituted or unsubstituted heterocycle having from 2 to 24 carbon atoms and having a heteroatom selected from the group consisting of N, O and S

wherein R 5 , R 6 and R 7 are optionally the same or different and each is H; a linear, branched, substituted or unsubstituted, cyclic or alicyclic alkyl group having from 1 to 24 carbon atoms; or a substituted or unsubstituted, mono- or polycyclic aryl group having from 6 to 24 carbon atoms; and

wherein R 8 , R 9 , R 10 and R 11 are the same or different and are each H or have one of the definitions of R 1 .