Synthesis of the first neutral η 6 -silabenzene complexes [M(η 6 -C 5 H 5 SiTbt)(CO) 3 ] (M ) Cr (2), Mo (3); Tbt ) 2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl) was achieved by the ligand exchange reactions of [M(CH 3 CN) 3 (CO) 3 ] (M ) Cr, Mo) with the kinetically stabilized silabenzene 1. X-ray crystallographic analysis of 2 revealed that the η 6 -coordinated silabenzene rings of the complexes have almost planar geometries with delocalized π-electron structures. The structures of η 6 -silabenzene complexes 2 and 3 were fully characterized by NMR, UV/vis, and IR spectroscopic analysis. All the 1 H, 13 C, and 29 Si NMR chemical shifts of the SiC 5 H 5 rings of 2 and 3 were shifted to upper field relative to those for silabenzene 1, due to the π-coordination of the silabenzene ring to the metal center. The carbonyl stretching frequencies of 2 and 3 were observed in a region of lower wavenumber as compared to those of the corresponding group 6 metal complexes of benzene. In the UV/vis spectra of 2 and 3, the absorption maxima were slightly red-shifted compared to those for the corresponding benzene complexes. The formation of η 6 -silabenzene complexes 2 and 3 is very important from the viewpoints of the novel chemical reactivity of silaaromatics. Silabenzene complexes 2 and 3 were thermally stable under an inert atmosphere but air and moisture sensitive. These compounds underwent ready addition reactions with water exclusively at their 1,2-positions to give the corresponding hydroxysilane 8a. The high regioselectivity observed for the addition reactions to 2 and 3 is in a sharp contrast to the competitive 1,2-and 1,4-addition reactions of free silabenzene 1 with water.