The hydrosilylation of carbon monoxide with cobalt carbonyls under rel
atively mild conditions resulted in a Fischer-Tropsch-analogous reduct
ive coupling of CO. Alkyl silyl ethers, 1,2-bis(silyloxy)-1-alkenes an
d higher molecular weight compounds with at least three silyloxy group
s were also formed, each of these containing up to seven carbon atoms
derived from CO and for the most part having a linear structure. A (si
lyloxycarbyne)cobalt complex was postulated as the key intermediate.