Aryl silyl ethers, selective deprotection

Aryl and alkyl trimethylsilyl ethers can often be cleaved by refluxing in aqueous methanol, an advantage for acid- or base-sensitive substrates. The ethers are stable to Grignard and Wittig reactions and to reduction with lithium aluminum hydride at —15°. Aryl -butyldimethylsilyl ethers and other sterically more demanding silyl ethers require acid- or fluoride ion-catalyzed hydrolysis for removal. Increased steric bulk also improves their stability to a much harsher set of conditions. An excellent review of the selective deprotection of alkyl silyl ethers and aryl silyl ethers has been published. ... 

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