The missing link: triplet fluorocarbonyl nitrene FC(O)N

The elusive triplet fluorocarbonyl nitrene, FC(O)N (X³A′′), has been generated in high yield from matrix‐isolated FC(O)N₃ by ArF excimer laser photolysis (λ=193 nm). As a side product FNCO was formed. The novel nitrene was characterized by IR, UV/Vis, EPR spectroscopy, and quantum‐chemical calculations. All six fundamental vibrations of FC(O)N at 1681.3, 1193.8, 879.8, 646.5, 588.7, and 434.8 cm^?1 (argon matrix, 16 K), their ^12/13C, ^16/18O, and ^14/15N isotopic shifts, and four electronic transitions at T₀=13 890, 25 428, 29 166, and 30 900 cm^?1 that exhibit vibrational fine structures have been detected. Under visible‐light irradiation at λ≥495 nm, FC(O)N reacted with molecular N₂ in the matrix cage at 6 K to give back FC(O)N₃, whereas near‐UV irradiation at λ≥335 nm yielded FNCO. The singlet–triplet energy gaps of different carbonyl nitrenes are discussed.     

Designing Fluorinated Cinchona Alkaloids for Enantioselective Catalysis: Controlling Internal Rotation by a Fluorine‐Ammonium Ion gauche Effect (φNCCF)

The C9 position of cinchona alkaloids functions as a molecular hinge, with internal rotations around the C8? C9 (τ₁) and C9? C4′ (τ₂) bonds giving rise to four low energy conformers ( 1 ; anti‐closed, anti‐open, syn‐closed, and syn‐open). By substituting the C9 carbinol centre by a configurationally defined fluorine substituent, a fluorine‐ammonium ion gauche effect (σ_C?H→σ_C?F*; F^δ????N⁺) encodes for two out of the four possible conformers ( 2 ). This constitutes a partial solution to the long‐standing problem of governing internal rotations in cinchonium‐based catalysts relying solely on a fluorine conformational effect.     

Fast Heavy‐Atom Tunneling in Trifluoroacetyl Nitrene

Chemical reactions involving quantum mechanical tunneling (QMT) increasingly attract the attention of scientists. In contrast to the hydrogen‐tunneling as frequently observed in chemistry and biology, tunneling solely by heavy atoms is rare. Herein, we report heavy‐atom tunneling in trifluoroacetyl nitrene, CF₃C(O)N. The carbonyl nitrene CF₃C(O)N in the triplet ground state was generated in cryogenic matrices by laser (193 or 266 nm) photolysis of CF₃C(O)N₃ and characterized by IR and EPR spectroscopy. In contrast to the theoretically predicted activation barriers (>10 kcal mol⁻¹), CF₃C(O)N undergoes rapid rearrangement into CF₃NCO with half‐life times of less than 10 min and unprecedentedly large ¹⁴N/¹⁵N kinetic isotope effects (1.18–1.33) in solid Ar, Ne, and N₂ matrices even at 2.8 K. The tunneling disappearance of CF₃C(O)N becomes much slower in the chemically active toluene and in 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran at 5 K.     

SN1‐Type Substitution Reactions of N‐Protected β‐Hydroxytyrosine Esters: Stereoselective Synthesis of β‐Aryl and β‐Alkyltyrosines

The title compounds were prepared by aldol reaction of anisaldehyde and the respective N,N‐dibenzyl glycinates. Deprotection of the nitrogen atom with Pearlman’s catalyst delivered the unprotected β‐hydroxytyrosine esters, which were further N‐protected as N,N‐phthaloyl (Phth) and N‐fluorenylmethylcarbonyloxy (Fmoc) derivatives. The Friedel–Crafts reaction with various arenes was studied employing these alcohols as electrophiles. It turned out that the facial diastereoselectivitiy depends on the nitrogen protecting group and on the ester group. The unprotected substrates (NH₂) gave preferentially syn‐products but the anti‐selectivity increased when going from NHFmoc over NPhth to NBn₂. If the ester substituent was varied the syn‐preference increased in the order Me <Et <iPr. The reactions were shown to be fully stereoconvergent and proceeded under kinetic product control. A model is suggested to explain the facial diastereoselectivity based on a conformationally locked benzylic cation intermediate. The reactions are preparatively useful for the N‐unprotected isopropyl ester, which gave Friedel–Crafts alkylation products with good syn‐selectivity (anti/syn=21:79 to 7:93), and for the N,N‐dibenzyl‐protected methyl ester, which led preferentially to anti‐products (anti/syn=80:20 to >95:5). Upon acetylation of the latter compound to the respective acetate, Bi(OTf)₃‐catalyzed alkylation reactions became possible, in which silyl enol ethers served as nucleophiles. The respective alkylation products were obtained in high yield and with excellent anti‐selectivitiy (anti/syn≥95:5).     

Exo conformers of N‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)‐ and N‐(pyridin‐3‐yl)norbornene‐5,6‐dicarboximide crystals

Two isomeric pyridine‐substituted norbornenedicarboximide derivatives, namely N‐(pyridin‐2‐yl)‐exo‐norbornene‐5,6‐dicarboximide, (I), and N‐(pyridin‐3‐yl)‐exo‐norbornene‐5,6‐dicarboximide, (II), both C₁₄H₁₂N₂O₄, have been crystallized and their structures unequivocally determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The molecules consist of norbornene moieties fused to a dicarboximide ring substituted at the N atom by either pyridin‐2‐yl or pyridin‐3‐yl in an anti configuration with respect to the double bond, thus affording exo isomers. In both compounds, the asymmetric unit consists of two independent molecules (Z′ = 2). In compound (I), the pyridine rings of the two independent molecules adopt different conformations, i.e. syn and anti, with respect to the methylene bridge. The intermolecular contacts of (I) are dominated by C—H...O interactions. In contrast, in compound (II), the pyridine rings of both molecules have an anti conformation and the two independent molecules are linked by carbonyl–carbonyl interactions, as well as by C—H...O and C—H...N contacts.     

The Structure and Conformation of (CH3)3CSNO

The gas‐phase molecular structure of (CH₃)₃CSNO was investigated by using electron diffraction, allowing the first experimental geometrical parameters for an S‐nitrosothiol species to be elucidated. Depending on the orientation of the ?SNO group, two conformers (anti and syn) are identified in the vapor of (CH₃)₃CSNO at room temperature, the syn conformer being less abundant. The conformational landscape is further scrutinized by using vibrational spectroscopy techniques, including gas‐phase and matrix‐isolation IR spectroscopy, resulting in a contribution of ca. 80:20 for the anti:syn abundance ratio, in good agreement with the computed value at the MP2(full)/cc‐pVTZ level of approximation. The UV/Vis and resonance Raman spectra also show the occurrence of the conformational equilibrium in the liquid phase, with a moderate post‐resonance Raman signature associated with the 350 nm electronic absorption.     

Direct Observation of Carbamoylnitrenes

As the prototype Curtius rearrangement reaction, carbamoyl azide decomposes into aminoisocyanate and molecular nitrogen. However, the key intermediate carbamoylnitrene was previously undetected, even though the decomposition of carbamoyl azides has been studied frequently since its discovery in the 1890s. Upon ArF laser (λ=193 nm) photolysis, the stepwise decomposition of the two simplest carbamoyl azides H₂NC(O)N₃ and Me₂NC(O)N_3, isolated in solid noble gas matrices, occurs with the formation of the corresponding carbamoylnitrenes H₂NC(O)N and Me₂NC(O)N. Both triplet species are characterized for the first time by combining matrix‐isolation IR spectroscopy and quantum‐chemical calculations. Subsequent visible‐light irradiations cause efficient rearrangement of these nitrenes into the respective aminoisocyanates.     

ss‐NMR and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction in the elucidation of a new polymorph of bischalcone (1E,4E)‐1,5‐bis(4‐fluorophenyl)penta‐1,4‐dien‐3‐one

We report a new polymorph of (1E,4E)‐1,5‐bis(4‐fluorophenyl)penta‐1,4‐dien‐3‐one, C₁₇H₁₂F₂O. Contrary to the precedent literature polymorph with Z′ = 3, our polymorph has one half molecule in the asymmetric unit disordered over two 50% occupancy sites. Each site corresponds to one conformation around the single bond vicinal to the carbonyl group (so‐called anti or syn). The other half of the bischalcone is generated by twofold rotation symmetry, giving rise to two half‐occupied and overlapping molecules presenting both anti and syn conformations in their open chain. Such a disorder allows for distinct patterns of intermolecular C—H…O contacts involving the carbonyl and anti‐oriented β‐C—H groups, which is reflected in three ¹³C NMR chemical shifts for the carbonyl C atom. Here, we have also assessed the cytotoxicity of three symmetric bischalcones through their in vitro antitumour potential against three cancer cell lines. Cytotoxicity assays revealed that this biological property increases as halogen electronegativity increases.     

Mechanism and structural aspects of thermal Curtius rearrangement. Quantum chemical study

The electronic and geometric structures of formyl, acetyl, and benzoyl azides were studied and fragments of the potential surfaces for the thermal Curtius rearrangement of these azides into the corresponding isocyanates were calculated by density functional theory at the PBE/TZ2P level. Acyl azides adopt two stable, conformations syn and anti, with respect to the C-N bond. The syn conformers are more stable than their anti analogs. The activation energies of the syn-anti isomerization in the series under study are 9.4, 7.0, and 9.2 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively, and the activation energies of the reverse reaction are 8.5, 6.1, and 2.5 kcal mol⁻¹. The rearrangement of syn-acyl azides is a one-step process, in which elimination of N₂ occurs synchronously with the rearrangement of atoms and bonds to form isocyanates. The activation energies of the rearrangements of syn-HC(O)N₃, syn-MeC(O)N₃, and syn-PhC(O)N₃ are 28.0, 32.9, and 34.5 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively. The rearrangement of the anti conformers of the above-mentioned azides involves the formation of singlet acylnitrene. The activation energies of the latter process are 34.6, 32.9, and 32.3 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively. The activation energies of the rearrangement of acylnitrenes into isocyanates are 20.9, 18.9, and 13.6 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively. The energy characteristics of the process and the structural data for the starting compounds, final products, and transition states provide evidence that the thermal Curtius rearrangement occurs predominantly by a concerted mechanism. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 10, pp. 2200–2209, October, 2005.     

Difluorophosphoryl Nitrene F2P(O)N: Matrix Isolation and Unexpected Rearrangement to F2PNO

Triplet difluorophosphoryl nitrene F₂P(O)N (X³A′′) was generated on ArF excimer laser irradiation (λ=193 nm) of F₂P(O)N₃ in solid argon matrix at 16 K, and characterized by its matrix IR, UV/Vis, and EPR spectra, in combination with DFT and CBS‐QB3 calculations. On visible light irradiation (λ>420 nm) at 16 K F₂P(O)N reacts with molecular nitrogen and some of the azide is regenerated. UV irradiation (λ=255 nm) of F₂P(O)N (X³A′′) induced a Curtius‐type rearrangement, but instead of a 1,3‐fluorine shift, nitrogen migration to give F₂PON is proposed to be the first step of the photoisomerization of F₂P(O)N into F₂PNO (difluoronitrosophosphine). Formation of novel F₂PNO was confirmed with ¹⁵N‐ and ¹⁸O‐enriched isotopomers by IR spectroscopy and DFT calculations. Theoretical calculations predict a rather long P? N bond of 1.922 Å [B3LYP/6‐311+G(3df)] and low bond‐dissociation energy of 76.3 kJ mol^?1 (CBS‐QB3) for F₂PNO.     

UV laser photolysis of silacyclopent‐3‐ene: effect of admixtures on nature of chemically vapour‐deposited organosilicon films

Examination of ArF laser‐induced gas‐phase photolysis of silacyclopent‐3‐ene, occuring as extrusion of silylene, in the presence of admixtures reveals that photolysis is not interfered with in the presence of N₂, CO and CO₂, but it is in the presence of O₂, 2‐C₄F₈, CH₃OH, CD₃OH, CF₃CH₂OH and CH₃CO₂H. Formation of volatile products and solid deposited films incorporating fluorine or oxygen atoms is interpreted in terms of reactions of silylene with the admixtures. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Differences in the crystal structures of two dialkyl diester triphenyl­phospho­nium ylids

Hydrogen bonding and crystal packing play major roles in determining the conformations of ethyl methyl 2‐(triphenyl­phospho­ranyl­idene)malonate, Ph₃P=C(CO₂CH₃)CO₂CH₂CH₃ or C₂₄H₂₃O₄P, (I), and dimethyl 2‐(triphenyl­phosphor­anyl­idene)malonate, Ph₃P=C(CO₂CH₃)₂ or C₂₃H₂₁O₄P, (II). In (I), the acyl O atom of the ethyl ester group is anti to the P atom, while the O atom of the methyl ester group is syn. In (II), the dimethyl diester is a 1:1 mixture of anti–anti and syn–anti conformers.     

Theoretical influence of third molecule on reaction channels of weakly bound complex CO2… HF systems

In this investigation, reaction channels of weakly bound complexes CO₂…HF, CO₂…HF…NH₃, CO₂…HF…H₂O and CO₂…HF…CH₃OH systems were established at the B3LYP/6‐311++G(3df,2pd) level, using the Gaussian 98 program. The conformers of syn‐fluoroformic acid or syn‐fluoroformic acid plus a third molecule (NH₃, H₂O, or CH₃OH) were found to be more stable than the conformers of the related anti‐fluoroformic acid or anti‐fluoroformic acid plus a third molecule (NH₃, H₂O, or CH₃OH). However, the weakly bound complexes were found to be more stable than either the related syn‐ and anti‐type fluoroformic acid or the acid plus third molecule (NH₃, H₂O, or CH₃OH) conformers. They decomposed into CO₂ + HF, CO₂ + NH₄F, CO₂ + H₃OF or CO₂ + (CH₃)OH₂F combined molecular systems. The weakly bound complexes have four reaction channels, each of which includes weakly bound complexes and related systems. Moreover, each reaction channel includes two transition state structures. The transition state between the weakly bound complex and anti‐fluoroformic acid type structure (T₁₃) is significantly larger than that of internal rotation (T₂₃) between the syn‐ and anti‐FCO₂H (or FCO₂H…NH₃, FCO₂H…H₂O, or FCO₂H…CH₃OH) structures. However, adding the third molecule NH₃, H₂O, or CH₃OH can significantly reduce the activation energy of T₁₃. The catalytic strengths of the third molecules are predicted to follow the order H₂O < NH₃ < CH₃OH. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2006     

Stereodivergent Organocatalytic Intramolecular Michael Addition/Lactonization for the Asymmetric Synthesis of Substituted Dihydrobenzofurans and Tetrahydrofurans

A stereodivergent asymmetric Lewis base catalyzed Michael addition/lactonization of enone acids into substituted dihydrobenzofuran and tetrahydrofuran derivatives is reported. Commercially available (S)‐(?)‐tetramisole hydrochloride gives products with high syn diastereoselectivity in excellent enantioselectivity (up to 99:1 d.r._syn/anti, 99 % ee_syn), whereas using a cinchona alkaloid derived catalyst gives the corresponding anti‐diastereoisomers as the major product (up to 10:90 d.r._syn/anti, 99 % ee_anti).     

Binuclear trans‐Bis(β‐iminoaryloxy)palladium(II) Complexes Doubly Linked with Pentamethylene Spacers: Structure‐Dependent Flapping Motion and Heterochiral Association Behavior of the Clothespin‐Shaped Molecules

The synthesis, structure, and solution‐state behavior of clothespin‐shaped binuclear trans‐bis(β‐iminoaryloxy)palladium(II) complexes doubly linked with pentamethylene spacers are described. Achiral syn and racemic anti isomers of complexes 1 – 3 were prepared by treating Pd(OAc)₂ with the corresponding N,N′‐bis(β‐hydroxyarylmethylene)‐1,5‐pentanediamine and then subjecting the mixture to chromatographic separation. Optically pure (100 % ee) complexes, (+)‐anti‐ 1 , (+)‐anti‐ 2 , and (+)‐anti‐ 3 , were obtained from the racemic mixture by employing a preparative HPLC system with a chiral column. The trans coordination and clothespin‐shaped structures with syn and anti conformations of these complexes have been unequivocally established by X‐ray diffraction studies. ¹H NMR analysis showed that (±)‐anti‐ 1 , (±)‐anti‐ 2 , syn‐ 2 , and (±)‐anti‐ 3 display a flapping motion by consecutive stacking association/dissociation between cofacial coordination planes in [D₈]toluene, whereas syn‐ 1 and syn‐ 3 are static under the same conditions. The activation parameters for the flapping motion (ΔH^≠ and ΔS^≠) were determined from variable‐temperature NMR analyses as 50.4 kJ mol^?1 and 60.1 J mol^?1 K^?1 for (±)‐anti‐ 1 , 31.0 kJ mol^?1 and ?22.7 J mol^?1 K^?1 for (±)‐anti‐ 2 , 29.6 kJ mol^?1 and ?57.7 J mol^?1 K^?1 for syn‐ 2 , and 35.0 kJ mol^?1 and 0.5 J mol^?1 K^?1 for (±)‐anti‐ 3 , respectively. The molecular structure and kinetic parameters demonstrate that all of the anti complexes flap with a twisting motion in [D₈]toluene, although (±)‐anti‐ 1 bearing dilated Z‐shaped blades moves more dynamically than I‐shaped (±)‐anti‐ 2 or the smaller (±)‐anti‐ 3 . Highly symmetrical syn‐ 2 displays a much more static flapping motion, that is, in a see‐saw‐like manner. In CDCl₃, (±)‐anti‐ 1 exhibits an extraordinary upfield shift of the ¹H NMR signals with increasing concentration, whereas solutions of (+)‐anti‐ 1 and the other syn/anti analogues 2 and 3 exhibit negligible or slight changes in the chemical shifts under the same conditions, which indicates that anti‐ 1 undergoes a specific heterochiral association in the solution state. Equilibrium constants for the dimerizations of (±)‐ and (+)‐anti‐ 1 in CDCl₃ at 293 K were estimated by curve‐fitting analysis of the ¹H NMR chemical shift dependences on concentration as 26 M ^?1 [K_D(racemic)] and 3.2 M ^?1 [K_D(homo)], respectively. The heterochiral association constant [K_D(hetero)] was estimated as 98 M ^?1, based on the relationship K_D(racemic)=1/2 K_D(homo)+1/4 K_D(hetero). An inward stacking motif of interpenetrative dimer association is postulated as the mechanistic rationale for this rare case of heterochiral association.     

Asymmetric Palladium‐Catalyzed Alkene Carboamination Reactions for the Synthesis of Cyclic Sulfamides

The synthesis of cyclic sulfamides by enantioselective Pd‐catalyzed alkene carboamination reactions between N‐allylsulfamides and aryl or alkenyl bromides is described. High levels of asymmetric induction (up to 95:5 e.r.) are achieved using a catalyst composed of [Pd₂(dba)₃] and (S)‐Siphos‐PE. Deuterium‐labelling studies indicate the reactions proceed through syn‐aminopalladation of the alkene and suggest that the control of syn‐ versus anti‐aminopalladation pathways is important for asymmetric induction.     

Sequential Hydrogen Tunneling in o-Tolylmethylene

o-Tolylmethylene 1 is a metastable triplet carbene that rearranges to o-xylylene 2 even at temperatures as low as 2.7 K via [1,4] H atom tunneling. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopical techniques were used to identify two conformers of 1 (anti and syn) in noble gas matrices and in frozen organic solutions. Conformer-specific kinetic measurements revealed that the rate constants for the rearrangements of the anti and syn conformers of 1 are very similar. However, the orbital alignment in the syn conformer is less favorable for the hydrogen transfer reaction than the orbital configuration in the anti conformer. Our spectroscopic and quantum chemical investigations indicate that anti 1 and syn 1 rapidly interconvert via efficient quantum tunneling forming a rotational pre-equilibrium. The subsequent second tunneling reaction, the [1,4] H migration from anti 1 to 2 , is rate-limiting for the formation of 2 . We here present an efficient strategy for the study of such tunneling equilibria.     

Trisphosphine‐Chelate‐Substituted Molybdenum and Tungsten Nitrosyl Hydrides as Highly Active Catalysts for Olefin Hydrogenations

Reaction of [M(NO)Cl₃(NCMe)₂] (M=Mo, W) with (iPr₂PCH₂CH₂)₂PPh (etpⁱp) at room temperature afforded the syn/anti‐[M(NO)Cl₃(mer‐etpⁱp)] complexes (M=Mo, a ; W, b ; 3 a,b (syn,anti); syn and anti refer to the relative position of Ph(etpⁱp) and NO). Reduction of 3 a,b (syn,anti) produced [M(NO)Cl₂(mer‐etpⁱp)] ( 4 a,b (syn)), [M(NO)Cl(NCMe)(mer‐etpⁱp)] ( 5 a,b (syn,anti)), and [M(NO)Cl(η²‐ethylene)(mer‐etpⁱp)] ( 6 a,b (syn,anti)) complexes. The hydrides [M(NO)H(η²‐ethylene)(mer‐etpⁱp)] ( 7 a,b (syn,anti)) were obtained from 6 a,b (syn,anti) using NaHBEt₃ (75 °C, THF) or LiBH₄ (80 °C, Et₃N), respectively. 7 a,b (syn,anti) were probed in olefin hydrogenations in the absence or presence of a hydrosilane/B(C₆F₅)₃ mixture. The 7 a,b (syn,anti)/Et₃SiH/B(C₆F₅)₃ co‐catalytic systems were highly active in various olefin hydrogenations (60 bar H₂, 140 °C), with maximum TOFs of 5250 h^?1 ( 7 a (syn,anti)) and 8200 h^?1 ( 7 b (syn,anti)) for 1‐hexene hydrogenation. The Et₃SiH/(B(C₆F₅)₃ co‐catalyst is anticipated to generate a [Et₃Si]⁺ cation attaching to the O_NO atom. This facilitates NO bending and accelerates catalysis by providing a vacant site. Inverse DKIE effects were observed for the 7 a (syn,anti)/Et₃SiH/(B(C₆F₅)₃ (k_H/k_D=0.55) and the 7 b (syn,anti)/Et₃SiH/(B(C₆F₅)₃ (k_H/k_D=0.65) co‐catalytic mixtures (20 bar H₂/D₂, 140 °C).     

A triangular palladium(II) supramolecular coordination complex based on 1,4‐bis(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene and (2,2′‐bipyridyl)palladium(II) nitrate: synthesis and crystal structure

The self‐assembly of ditopic bis(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene ligands ( L ^H) and the complex (2,2′‐bipyridyl‐κ²N,N′)bis(nitrato‐κO)palladium(II) affords the supramolecular coordination complex tris[μ‐bis(1H‐imidazol‐1‐yl)benzene‐κ²N³:N^3′]‐triangulo‐tris[(2,2′‐bipyridyl‐κ²N,N′)palladium(II)] hexakis(hexafluoridophosphate) acetonitrile heptasolvate, [Pd₃(C₁₀H₈N₂)₃(C₁₂H₁₀N₄)₃](PF₆)₆·7CH₃CN, 2 . The structure of 2 was characterized in acetonitrile‐d₃ by ¹H/¹³C NMR spectroscopy and a DOSY experiment. The trimeric nature of supramolecular coordination complex 2 in solution was ascertained by cold spray ionization mass spectrometry (CSI–MS) and confirmed in the solid state by X‐ray structure analysis. The asymmetric unit of 2 comprises the trimetallic Pd complex, six PF₆^? counter‐ions and seven acetonitrile solvent molecules. Moreover, there is one cavity within the unit cell which could contain diethyl ether solvent molecules, as suggested by the crystallization process. The packing is stabilized by weak inter‐ and intramolecular C—H…N and C—H…F interactions. Interestingly, the crystal structure displays two distinct conformations for the L ^H ligand (i.e. syn and anti), with an all‐syn‐[Pd] coordination mode. This result is in contrast to the solution behaviour, where multiple structures with syn/anti‐ L ^H and syn/anti‐[Pd] are a priori possible and expected to be in rapid equilibrium.     

Hydrogenation of Imines Catalyzed by Trisphosphine‐Substituted Molybdenum and Tungsten Nitrosyl Hydrides and Co‐Catalytic Acid

Hydride complexes Mo,W(CO)(NO)H(mer‐etpⁱp) (iPr₂PCH₂CH₂)₂PPh=etpⁱp) ( 2 a,b(syn) , syn and anti of NO and Ph(etpⁱp) orientions) were prepared and probed in imine hydrogenations together with co‐catalytic [H(Et₂O)₂][B(C₆F₅)₄] (140 °C, 60 bar H₂). 2 a,b(syn) were obtained via reduction of syn/anti‐Mo,W(NO)Cl₃(mer‐etpⁱp) and syn,anti‐Mo,W(NO)(CO)Cl(mer‐etpⁱp). [H(Et₂O)₂][B(C₆F₅)₄] in THF converted the hydrides into THF complexes syn‐[Mo,W(NO)(CO)(etpⁱp)(THF)][B(C₆F₅)₄]. Combinations of the p‐substituents of aryl imines p‐R¹C₆H₄CH=N‐p‐C₆H₄R² (R¹,R²=H,F,Cl,OMe,α‐Np) were hydrogenated to amines (maximum initial TOFs of 1960 h^?1 ( 2 a(syn) ) and 740 h^?1 ( 2 b(syn) ) for N‐(4‐methoxybenzylidene)aniline). An ‘ionic hydrogenation’ mechanism based on linear Hammett plots (ρ=?10.5, p‐substitution on the C‐side and ρ=0.86, p‐substitution on the N‐side), iminium intermediates, linear P(H₂) dependence, and DKIE=1.38 is proposed. Heterolytic splitting of H₂ followed by ‘proton before hydride’ transfers are the steps in the ionic mechanism where H₂ ligand addition is rate limiting.