It is used in chemo-therapeutics. It is employed as a catalyst in the removal of tert-butyl(dimethyl)silyl (TBS) protecting groups. It is selective in the presence of aromatic TBS ethers, aliphatic triisopropylsilyl ethers, aliphatic tert-butyl(diphenyl)silyl ethers, or sterically hindered aliphatic TBS ethers. With excess catalyst, TBS ethers can also be transformed into 4-methoxybenzyl ethers or methyl ethers in one pot.
