aqueous sodium hydroxide as noted the reduction of ketones yields a silicon containing intermediate compound the silicon may be cleaved from the intermediate by a variety of known extraction techniques to isolate the desired end product of the reduction reaction for example silicon cleavage may be effected by treatment with ethanolic or aqueous solutions of hydrochloric acid or sodium hydroxide subsequently separation and drying techniques can be utilized to recover the crude product which can then be purified by a conventional technique such as chromatography a variety of catalysts can be used effectively in the reduction reactions of the present invention exemplary catalysts broadly include those having the general formulas where m is a group 3 4 5 or 6 metal a lanthanide or an actinide and where l l 39 l 34 l 39 39 39 l iv and l v independently can be some combination of h an alkyl group an aryl group a silyl group a halogen or sr or nr r 39 where r and r 39 may be h or an alkyl or aryl group and may be different or the same examples of group 3 4 5 or 6 metals which may be useful with the present invention include titanium vanadium niobium chromium yttrium scandium and lanthanum examples of useful lanthanides include samarium ytterbium and lutetium examples of useful actinides include thorium and uranium titanium however is the most preferred metal among the catalysts generally identified above the most preferred include titanium iv alkoxides and titanium iv aryloxides including iv isopropoxide titanium iv ethoxide and trichlorotitanium iv isopropoxide titanium iv methoxide and titanium iv butoxide currently the most preferred catalysts include titanium iv isopropoxide titanium iv ethoxide and trichlorotitanium iv isopropoxide among the particular advantages of the catalysts identified.