1-Methyl- and 1-phenyl-ortho-carborane functionalized polystyrenes (1a, 1b) were synthesized by the reactions of pertinent carborane lithium salts and Merrifield's peptide resin (1%), in refluxing tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent in 90 and 85% yield, respectively. Further reaction of dianions derived from the resulting 1a and 1b with dichloro bis(triphenylphosphine)nickel(+II) produced novel polystyrene supported neutral nickel(+II) carborane compounds (2a, 2b). The polyethylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride catalytic properties of the nickel complexes in THF and ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, [BMIM][BF4], of compounds 2a and 2b were tested. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.