The titled chromium complexes (C1–C6) were prepared by the reaction of CrCl 3 (THF) 3 with the corresponding 2-carbethoxy-6-iminopyridines (L1–L6) in dichloromethane. All the complexes were characterized by IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The unambiguous solid-state structures of C1, C3 and C5 were determined by X-ray crystallography. The chromium core was found to be coordinated by a molecule of 2-carbethoxy-6-iminopyridine and three atoms of chlorine to form a distorted octahedral coordination geometry. Activated with ethylaluminum dichloride (EtAlCl 2 ), these complexes showed notable catalytic activities for ethylene polymerization. The nature of the ligands and reaction parameters affected the properties of the resultant polyethylenes.