Two new half-sandwich zirconium(IV) complexes bearing salicylaldimine ligands of the type Cp*Zr[2-t Bu-4-R-6-(CH=N i Pr)C 6 H 2 O]Cl 2 [R=H(1), t Bu(2)] were prepared by the reaction of Cp*ZrCl 3 with the corresponding lithium of salicylaldimine ligands 2-t Bu-4-R-6-(CH=N i Pr)C 6 H 2 OLi[R=H(LiLa), t Bu(LiLb)]. Complexes 1 and 2 were characterized by 1 H NMR, 13 C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. When activated with Al i Bu 3 and Ph 3 CB(C 6 F 5 ) 4 , both complexes 1 and 2 exhibited reasonable catalytic activities for ethylene polymerization, producing polyethylenes with moderate molecular weight. Complexes 1 and 2 also exhibited reasonable catalytic activities for ethylene copolymerization with 1-hexene, producing poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene)s with moderate molecular weight and reasonable 1-hexene content.