Copper triflate [Cu(OTf)2] is an efficient and mild catalyst for the silylation of α-hydroxyphosphonates to α-trimethylsilyloxyphosphonates with HMDS at room temperature

A broad, adaptable, high yielding and convenient procedure for the fast conversion of various α-hydroxyphosphonates to α-trimethylsilyloxyphosphonates under mild conditions with HMDS in the presence of a catalytic amount of copper triflate is described. This procedure has also been applied successfully for the silylation of alcohols and phenols.