Epoxidation of olefins with sodium hypochloride catalysed by new Nickel(II)-Schiff base complexes

New Schiff-base complexes of Nickel(II), NiL1 (where H2L1 = N,N'-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylenediimine) and NiL2 (where H2L2 = N-((2-hydroxyphenyl)acetylaldimine)-N'-(2-hydroxyphenyl)acetamide) have been prepared in good yield by direct interaction of 2-aminophenol, glyoxal/methylacetatotate and NiCl2 and characterised by physico-chemical analysis. Catalytic ability of Nit complex were examined and found that both the complexes can effectively catalyse the epoxidation of olefins viz. cyclohexene, l-hexene, cis- and trans-stilbenes, indene with NaOCl. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.