The introduction of even low amount of polar functional group is important to expand the range of poly olefin properties. The palladium-catalyzed copolymerization of olefins with polar monomers is a valuable method for the direct synthesis of polar functionalized polyolefins, while low-cost nickel-based catalysts for these copolymerizations still have been limited. Here we report a series of mono- and dinuclear nickel complexes based on structurally simple anilinoanthraquinone ligand for the ethylene copolymerization and norbornene copolymerization with polar monomers. The dinickel catalysts exhibit higher activity and polar monomer incorporation than corresponding mononuclear analogue, owing to the electronic cooperativity effects between the two nickel centers through conjugated ligand. (C) 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.