AbstractCleavage of the aryl‐silicon bond of 2‐trimethylsilyl‐1‐methylimidazole (Ia) and 2‐trimethylsilyl‐1‐methylbenzimidazole (Ib) has been effected by five carbonyl reagents, i.e. aldehydes, acid halides, chloroformates, anhydrides and isocyanates, to provide a novel synthetic route to a host of functionally substituted heterocycles. Compound Ia reacted exothermically at room temperature, with four of the, five carb