The bis-(2-dodecylsulfanyl-ethyl)-amine (SNS) ligand was prepared in good yield and high purity using inexpensive reagents and reacted with CrCl3(THF)(3) at room temperature to give the corresponding SNS/CrCl3 catalyst in high yield. An ethylene trimerization reaction at 90 A degrees C and 23 bar ethylene, using the SNS/CrCl3 complex activated by 700 equivalents of MAO, afforded 99.97% 1-C6. Only 0.10% PE was produced and the catalyst activity was 159283 g/g Cr/h.