(Trimethylsilyl)diazomethane has been selectively carbonylated to (trimethylsilyl)ketene at 10°C under atmospheric pressure of carbon monoxide in the presence of octacarbonyl dicobalt as the catalyst. The rate of (trimethylsilyl)ketene formation is first order with respect to both (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane and octacarbonyl dicobalt, and negative first order with respect to carbon monoxide.