N,O-Bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide (BSTFA) is an organosilicon compound. It is a colorless liquid that is very sensitive to traces of water or alcohols.
It is often used to convert hydroxyl groups to trimethylsilyl ether groups (Me = CH3):
These silylated derivatives are amenable to analysis or further manipulation. Siloxanes are invariably more volatile than their hydroxyl precursors, and thus they can be more easily analyzed with gas chromatography.[1]
This reagent was first reported in 1968.[2]