Methyl pivalate is an organic compound with the formula CH3O2CC(CH3)3. It is a colorless liquid, the methyl ester of pivalic acid. The ester is well known for being resistant to hydrolysis to the parent acid. Hydrolysis can be effected with a solution of trimethylsilyl iodide in hot acetonitrile followed by aqueous workup.[1][2]
References
^Olah, George A.; Narang, Subhash C.; Gupta, B. G. Balaram; Malhotra, Ripudaman (1979). "Transformations with chlorotrimethylsilane/sodium iodide, a convenient in situ Iodotrimethylsilane Reagent". J. Org. Chem. 44: 1247–1251. doi:10.1021/jo01322a012.