The field of phase transfer catalysis is a tribute to the chemists involved in process development research. Phase transfer catalysis is a solution to numerous cost and yield problems encountered regularly in industrial laboratories. In fact, much of the early work in this area was conducted by industrial chemists although the work was not labelled phase transfer catalysis at the time. We certainly do not intend to minimize the contributions of academic chemists to this field, but it is an unalterable fact that much of the early understanding and many of the early advances came from industrial laboratories. A special tribute is due to Dr. Charles Starks of the Continental Oil Company. By the mid sixties, Starks had formulated the principles of phase transfer catalysis and had applied for patents on many reactions that others were later to examine in somewhat greater detail. His mechanistic model of phase transfer catalysis still stands up well today and is a model for much of the thinking in this area. It is fitting that Starks suggested the name "phase transfer catalysis" by which the whole field is now known. We wish to thank a number of people who have aided us in many ways in the preparation of this volume. We very much appreciate the helpful discussions and insights provided by Drs. Henry Stevens and Andrew Kaman of PPG Industries in Barberton, Ohio. We also thank Dr. L. A.

The application of silicon reagents in organic synthesis has grown at an increasingly rapid rate over the last twenty years. This has been the result of truly international interest. Signifi- cant contributions have been made by Japanese, Russian, Ger- man, French, English, American, Swiss and Canadian as well as by chemists from many other countries. This monograph attempts to comprehensively cover this field. Some seventeen hundred articles reporting contributions by over eighteen hundred scientists are summarized. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that interesting and important work has been left out. I welcome comments about such results which should be in- cluded in any future editions of this monograph. I would like to thank Robert Damrauer who first stimulated my interest in organosilicon chemistry. In addition, I thank a number of chemists who have shared my enthusiasm for silicon chemistry over the years: A Chihi, M.E. Childs, R.A Felix, H. Firgo, T.Y. Gu, T.Llto, LN. Jung, K.E. Koenig, H.Okinoshima, M.M. Radcliffe, B.L Rosen, H.S.D. Soy sa, K.P. Steele, R.E. Swaim, D. Tzeng, P.B. Valkovich, AK. Will- ard, S. Wunderly, and present members of my research group.