IntroductionPhosphine ligands are extensively used in late transition metal based homogeneous catalysis, as both steric and electronic properties of the ligand can be conveniently adjusted for specific applications. Especially, when multidentate phosphine ligands are considered, the bite angle (i.e. P-M-P angle) has a direct influence on the catalyst performance: constraining the complex geometry by bridging ligands usually leads to enhanced activities and selectivities compared to monodentate ligands. [1] Iron complexes bearing bidentate phosphine ligands are known to catalyse the formation of carbon-carbon bonds, since Iwamoto et al. demonstrated that the in situ combination of iron halide, ditertiary phosphine and aluminium alkyls catalysed the co-dimerisation of 1,3-butadiene and ethylene leading to the formation of 1,4-hexadiene. [2] Similar systems based on cobalt and nickel have also been reported. [3] Nevertheless, the use of phosphine based transition metal complexes as polymerisation (i.e. multiple subsequent carbon-carbon bond formation) catalyst precursors is scarcely described in the literature, if compared to the data dealing with group 4 transition metal or latetransition metal based catalysts for the polymerisation of olefins. Alkylaluminoxane or alkylaluminium activated phosphine complexes of nickel, iron or cobalt have been reported to provide the oligomerisation of ethylene, [4] and the polymerisation of styrene, [5] norbornene [6] and 1,3-butadiene. [7] In addition, (PPh 3 ) 2 FeCl 2 [8][9][10] and in situ prepared ditertiary phosphine complexes of iron(II) bromide [11] have been used for the atom transfer radical polymerisation (ATRP) of (meth)acrylate monomers and styrene.Recently, iron(II) and cobalt(II) chloride complexes bearing bis(imino)pyridyl ligands have shown their potential for the polymerisation of tert-butyl acrylate (tBA), methyl methacrylate (MMA) and other polar monomers after activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO). [12,13] The ligand structure and polymerisation conditions have a clear influence on the catalytic activity and the molar mass of the Summary: Diphosphane complexes of iron(II) are active catalysts for the polymerisation of methyl acrylate (MA) monomers in the presence of methylaluminoxane (MAO). High molar mass atactic MA polymers (M n $ 200 kg/mol) were obtained under mild conditions with relatively narrow polydispersities (PDI $ 2). Polymerisation activity and polymer molar masses are strongly dependent on the ligand frame. The polymerisation requires the coordination of MA to a vacant coordination site at the metal centre, and processes with chain-transfer to aluminium. Cobalt analogues proved to be less efficient catalysts, giving activities in the range of 50-250 kg/mol Á h instead of 200-450 kg/mol Á h for the iron complexes. MAO activated FeCl 2 and CoCl 2 salts also perform the polymerisation of MA with low activity.Ditertiary phosphine complex of iron(II) chloride as methyl acrylate polymerisation catalyst.polymer. It was also lately demonstrated that 1,...