Diphenylphosphinophenolate was found to be an effective ligand for the palladium- catalysed silylation of aryl halides, activating not only palladium but also silicon of a disilane, where aryl bromides and iodides having such substituents as methyl, methoxy, amino, ethoxycarbonyl, trifluoromethyl, formyl or phenyl are applicable to the reaction with hexamethyldisilane to give the corresponding trimethylsilylarenes.