Reaction of trialkylsilanes with phenol in the presence of metal halides

Summary We studied the reaction of phenol with trialkylsilanes of various structures, catalyzed by metal halides. The most suitable halides for this reaction are those of Cr, Co, Ni, Ge, Zn, Sn, and Hg. The reaction rate depends on the structure of the trialkylsilane and the amount and nature of the metal halides.The reaction of trialkylsilanes with phenol, catalyzed by metal halides, is a simple and convenient method of synthesizing trialkylphenoxysilanes, which are formed in yields of up to 98% of theoretical.We synthesized 16 trialkylphenoxysilanes (13 of which were prepared for the first time) and determined their properties. 16 trialkylsilanes were prepared as starting materials and 8 of these were described for the first time.