Potassium Hydroxide as a Cost-Effective Catalyst for Broad-Scope Silylation with TMSCF3

The development of efficient and broadly applicable silylation methodologies remains a central goal in synthetic organic and organosilicon chemistry. Traditionally, silylation reactions employ chlorosilanes or hydrosilanes, often necessitating the use of moisture-sensitive and corrosive reagents. Herein, we report a high-yielding, operationally simple, rapid, and economical silylation platform based on trifluoromethyltrimethylsilane (TMSCF3) and catalytic potassium hydroxide (KOH). This reaction system enables access to a broad array of substrates─including terminal alkynes and alcohols─exhibiting high functional group tolerance and facilitating the efficient silylation of pharmaceutically relevant molecules.