A new chiral natural bio-polymer-metal complexes. silica-supported starch-polysulfosiloxane-platinum complex (SiO2-ST-Si-S-Pt) has been prepared by a very simple method, and Pt complex has been found to be able to catalyze the asymmetric hydrogenation of 4-methyl-2-pentanone to give (R)-(-)-4-methyl-2-pentanol at room temperature and under an atmospheric hydrogen pressure. The product and optical yields of 4-methyl-2-pentanol a-mounted to 73.2 and 94.1%. respectively. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.