A mixture of chlorotrimethy~ ilane/lithium sulfide (sodium sulfide) is found to be a remarkably powerful silylating agent. Silylation of alcohols can be carried out at room temperature under essentially neutral conditions to afford quantitative yields of silyl ethers. This reagent has also been utilized in the preparation of related tert-butyl dimethylsilyl ethers. Nitrocyclohexanes give silyl nitronates under the reaction conditions. Carbonyl ...