Trimethylsilyl cyanide is a widely used organic reagent. An overview of recent advances in applications of trimethylsilyl cyanide as a nucleophile in organic synthesis are presented herein. The review is organized in the order of the following reaction types: the ring-opening reaction of aziridine and epoxide, nucleophilic addition to imine and aldehyde or ketone, multicomponent reaction involved amine and alde-hyde or ketone, coupling reaction, hydrocyanation to alkyne or active alkenes and so on.

Key words: trimethylsilyl cyanide, organic synthesis, hydrocyanation, nucleophilic addition, application