Derivatization reagents for specific groups
Download "Derivatization Reagents for GC and Procedures Guide" for additional information.
| Functional Group | Procedure | Reagent | Derivative |
| Amides | Silylation | BSA | TMS Amides |
| BSTFA | TMS Amides | ||
| BSTFA + TMCS | TMS Amides | ||
| MSTFA | TMS Amides | ||
| MSTFA + TMCS | TMS Amides | ||
| Tri-Sil Reagents | TMS Amides | ||
| MTBSTFA | TBDMCS Amides | ||
| MTBSTFA + TBDMCS | TBDMCS Amides | ||
| Primary | Acylation | MBTFA | Trifluoroacetamides |
 |
TFAA | Trifluoroacetamides | |
| PFAA | Pentafluoropropionamides | ||
| HFBA | Heptafluorobutyamides | ||
| Secondary | Alkylation | MethElute Reagent (TMPAH) |
Methyl Amides |
 |
|||
| Amines | Silylation | BSA | Trimethylsilyl ethers |
| BSTFA | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| BSTFA + TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| HMDS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| MSTFA | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| MSTFA + TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| Tri-Sil® Reagents | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| MTBSTFA | TBDMCS | ||
| MTBSTFA + TBDMCS | TBDMCS | ||
| Primary | Acylation | Acetic anhydride | Acetates |
 |
MBTFA | Trifluoroacetamides | |
| TFAA | Trifluoroacetamides | ||
| TFAI | Trifluoroacetamides | ||
| PFAA | Pentafluoropropionamides | ||
| PFPI | Pentafluoropropionamides | ||
| HFBA | Heptafluorobutylamides | ||
| HFBI | Heptafluorobutylamides | ||
| Secondary | Alkylation | DMF-dialkylacetals | N-(N,N-dimethyl)aminomethylenes |
 |
MethElute Reagent (TMPAH) | Methyl Amides | |
| NBB | Boronates | ||
| PFBBr | Pentafluorobenzyl ethers | ||
| Carbohydrates | Silylation | BSA + TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers |
| (CH2OH)n | BSTFA + TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | |
| HMDS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| HMDS + TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| HMDS + TMCS + pyridine | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| MSTFA | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| TMSI | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| TMSI + pyridine | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| Tri-Sil Reagents | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| Primary | Acylation | Acetic anhydride | Acetates |
| MBTFA | Trifluoroacetamides | ||
| TFAA | Trifluoroacetamides | ||
| TFAI | Trifluoroacetamides | ||
| PFAA | Pentafluoropropionamides | ||
| PFPI | Pentafluoropropionamides | ||
| HFBA | Heptafluorobutylamides | ||
| HFBI | Heptafluorobutylamides | ||
| Secondary | Alkylation | DMF-dialkylacetals | N-(N,N-dimethyl)aminomethylenes |
| MethElute Reagent (TMPAH) | Methyl Amides | ||
| NBB | Boronates | ||
| PFBBr | Pentafluorobenzyl ethers | ||
| Carbonyls | Silylation | BSA | Trimethylsilyl ethers |
| >C=O | BSTFA | Trimethylsilyl ethers | |
| BSTFA + TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| TMSI + pyridine | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| Alkylation | BCl3-2-chloroethanol | Chloro esters | |
| o-Methyloxyamine HCl | Oximes | ||
| TFAA | Trifluoroacetates | ||
| Carboxyl | Silylation | BSA | Trimethylsilyl ethers |
 |
BSTFA | Trimethylsilyl ethers | |
| BSTFA + TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| MSTFA | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| TMSI | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| TMSI + pyridine | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| Tri-Sil Reagents | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| MTBSTFA | TBDMCS | ||
| MTBSTFA + TBDMCS | TBDMCS | ||
| Alkylation | BCl3-Methanol | Chloro esters | |
| BF3-Butanol | Butyl esters | ||
| BF3-Propanol | Propyl esters | ||
| BF3-Methanol | Methyl esters | ||
| Trimethylsilyldiazomethane | Methyl esters | ||
| DMF-dialkylacetals | Methyl esters | ||
| Methanolic base | Methyl esters | ||
| Methanolic HCl | Methyl esters | ||
| Methanolic H2SO4 | Methyl esters | ||
| Methylate Reagent (DMFDMA) | Methyl esters | ||
| MethElute Reagent (TMPAH) | Methyl esters | ||
| PFBBr | Pentafluorobenzyl esters | ||
| PFAA + Pentafluoropropanol | Pentafluoropropyl Ester | ||
| NBB | Cyclic boronates | ||
| Ethers | Silylation | HMDS + TMCS + pyridine | Trimethylsilyl ethers |
| ≡C–O–C≡ | TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | |
| Hydroxyl-OH | Silylation | BSA | Trimethylsilyl ethers |
| R-OH | BSTFA | Trimethylsilyl ethers | |
| Alcohols | BSTFA + TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | |
| HMDS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| MSTFA | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| MSTFA + TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| TBDMSIM | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| TMCS | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| TMSI | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| Phenols | Tri-Sil Reagents | Trimethylsilyl ethers | |
 |
MTBSTFA | TBDMCS | |
| MTBSTFA + TBDMCS | TBDMCS | ||
| Acylation | Acetic anhydride | Acetates | |
| MBTFA | Trifluoroacetates | ||
| TFAA | Trifluoroacetates | ||
| TFAI | Trifluoroacetates | ||
| PFAA | Pentafluoropropionates | ||
| HFBI | Heptafluorobutrates | ||
| HFAA | Heptafluorobutrates | ||
| Alkylation | PFBBr | Pentafluorobenzyl Ethers | |
| Trimethylsilyldiazomethane5 | Methyl esters | ||
| TMAH | N-Methyl esters | ||
| DMF-dialkylacetals | Methyl esters | ||
| Hexaoxacyclooctane | Pentafluorobenzyl phenols | ||
| Nitriles | Undergo many of the same reactions as carboxylic acids - see Carbonyls. | ||
| R–C≡N | |||
| Acylation | MBTFA | Trimethylsilyl ethers | |
| R-S | PFBBr | Trimethylsilyl ethers | |
| Silylation | TMSI | Trimethylsilyl ethers | |
| Sulfonic Acids | Silylation | TMSI | Trimethylsilyl ethers |
| R–SO2OH | |||
| Alkylation | TMAH | N-Methyl esters | |
| PFBBr6 | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| Sulfonamides | Silylation | BSTFA | Trimethylsilyl ethers |
| R–SO2NH2 | |||
| Acylation | TFAA | Trifluoroacetates | |
| PFBBr | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| HFBA | Trimethylsilyl ethers | ||
| Alkylation | DMF-dialkylacetals2 | Methyl esters | |