Palladium-catalyzed coupling of 1-adamantylamine (2 equiv.) with 4,5-dibromo-2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethylxanthene afforded the proligand 4,5-bis(1-adamantylamino)-2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethylxanthene, H [XAd] (1), which upon deprotonation with excess KH or KCH Ph in THF or dme generated [{K(THF) } (XAd)] (2a) and [K (XAd)(dme)] (2b). Subsequent reaction of in situ generated 2a or 2b with [ThCl (dme) ] yielded [(XAd)ThCl K ]·x(dme) (3; x = 0.5–2), which reacted with 2 equiv.
