Efficient Synthesis of 2-(Trimethylsilyl)phenyl Trifluoromethanesulfonate: A Versatile Precursor to o-Benzyne

An efficient procedure for the gram-scale preparation of 2-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl trifluoromethanesulfonate, a versatile precursor to o-benzyne, is presented. The three-step sequence utilizes phenol as the starting material, requires only one chromatographic purification, and ultimately delivers the desired silyltriflate in 66% overall yield.