A Mild, Efficient, and Selective Method for the Desilylation of More Common Trialkylsilyl Ethers by Cerium(III) Chloride Heptahydrate and Sodium Iodide in Acetonitrile

Treatment of trialkylsilyl ethers with cerium(III) chloride heptahydrate and sodium iodide in acetonitrile provides a simple, convenient, and chemoselective process for desilylation, and the parent alcohol was obtained in high yield. The trialkylsilyl ethers have been cleaved selectively in the presence of acetate, benzyl and tetrahydropyranyl ethers.