Photochemical irradiation of an equimolar mixture of (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Fe(CO) 2 SiR 3 , FpSiR 3 , and FpMe leads to the efficient formation of the silicon-carbon coupled product R 3 SiMe, R 3 = Me 3 , Me 2 Ph, MePh 2 , Ph 3 , ClMe 2 , Cl 2 Me, Cl 3 , Me 2 Ar (Ar = C 6 H 4 X, X = F, OMe, CF 3 , NMe 2 . Similar chemistry occurs with related germyl and stannyl complexes at slower rates, Si > Ge> ≫Sn. Substitution of an aryl hydrogen in FpSiMe 2 C 6 H 4 R′ has little effect upon the rate of the reaction whereas progressive substitution of methyl groups on silicon by Cl slows the process. Also changing FpMe to FpCH 2 SiMe 3 dramatically slows the reaction as does the use of (η 5 -C 5 Me 5 )Fe(CO) 2 derivatives. A mechanism involving the initial formation of the 16e -intermediate (η 5 -C 5 H 5 )Fe(CO)Me followed by oxidative addition of the Fe-Si bond, accounts for the experimental results obtained.