Chromium carbonyl photocatalyzed hydrosilylation of 1,3-butadiene, trans-1,3-pentadiene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene, trans-2-methyl-1,3-pentadiene, and 1,3-cyclohexadiene with triethylsilane yields the cis-1,4-adducts, 1-(triethylsilyl)-2-butene derivatives, as the main products which have been isolated by distillation or preparative GC and fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy. The proposed mechanism involves the initial conversion of Cr(CO) 6 into Cr(CO) 4 (η 4 -1,3-diene) followed by a further photolytic CO substitution by triethylsilane forming a Cr(CO) 3 (H)(SiEt 3 )(η 4 -1,3-diene) intermediate. Experiments with D-SiEt 3 lead to the conclusion that reversible addition of the hydride to the diene with formation of an η 3 -enyl intermediate occurs prior to the irreversible silyl transfer to the organic moiety. The 1,4-hydrosilylation adduct is then replaced by new substrates to complete the catalytic cycle.