Trimethylsilylketene: Reactivity and Stabilization

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)92101-4

Me3SiCH=C=O is stable thermally, and is less reactive than t-BuCH=C=O toward H2O in neutral hydration, but in acid and base induced hydrations the reactivity is accelerated relative to alkylketenes.The contrasting reactivities are due to the relative degree of silicon stabilization of the ground state and the different transition states.