A rapid, selective, and efficient method for deprotection of silyl ethers catalyzed by bismuth(III) salts

Abstract

A variety of trimethylsilyl (TMS) ethers of alcohols and phenols are easily and rapidly removed in the presence of catalytic amounts of bismuth(III) salts, including BiCl3, Bi(TFA)3, and Bi(OTf)3 in methanol at room temperature in excellent yields. tert-Butyldimethylsilyl (TBDMS) ethers are inert towards BiCl3 and Bi(TFA)3, but in the presence of Bi(OTf)3, the corresponding alcohols are obtained in excellent yields.