Quinoline-imine nickel (II) complexes were immobilized in fluorotetrasilicic mica interlayers by a one pot synthesis through the reaction of a nickel ion-exchanged fluorotetrasilicic mica (Ni2+-mica) with the corresponding quinoline and aniline derivatives. After activation of the prepared precatalyst by a co catalyst (Et3Al, iBu(3)Al, or Et2AlCl), it showed a high catalytic activity for the oligomerization of ethylene with the formation of oligomers having carbon numbers 4-20. The maximum activity (168 g-product g-cat(-1) h(-1)) was obtained by the oligomerization at 40 degrees C and 1.0 MPa in the presence of Et3Al using the precatalyst prepared from Ni2+-mica, 2-acetylquinoline, and 2, 6-dimethylaniline. In all the oligomerization runs, a long induction period was observed, and the induction time significantly depended on the co-catalyst. This induction period might be caused by the characteristic structure of the precatalysts. The FT-IR and XRD spectra of the precatalysts indicated the formation of the intended nickel complexes in the mica interlayer. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.