The reduction of diverse functional groups is an essential protocol in organic chemistry. Transition-metal catalysis has been successfully applied to the reduction of olefins, alkynes, and many carbonyl compounds via hydrogenation or hydrosilylation; the latter presenting several advantages over hydrogenation. Notably, hydrosilylation generally occurs under mild reaction conditions, and consequently over-reduced products are rarely detected. Moreover, the great majority of hydrosilanes employed in this reaction are easily handled, inexpensive, or both.
![Copper, silver, and gold complexes in hydrosilylation reactions](https://www.iciq.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Copper-silver-and-gold_eng_noticies_articles_2008_26.gif)