Trimethylsilyl derivatives of alcohols

In many cases, nonvolatile substances are converted into more volatile derivatives prior to mass-spectral analysis. Examples include trimethylsilyl derivatives of alcohols or molecules containing sugar groups, ester derivatives of acids, and volatile chelates of trace-metal ions. Usually, a suitable volatile derivative can be synthesized by well established and relatively simple procedures. 

Rasmussen, H. T., A. M. Pinto, M. W. DeMouth, P. Touretzky, B. P. McPherson, High temperature GC of trimethylsilyl derivatives of alcohol ethoxylates and ethoxysulfates, 7. High Resolut. Chromatogr., 1994, /7, 593-596. 

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