Structure–Reactivity Relationship in the Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP)‐Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Imines

The autoinduced, frustrated Lewis pair (FLP)‐catalyzed hydrogenation of 16‐benzene‐ring substituted N‐benzylidene‐tert‐butylamines with B(2,6‐F₂C₆H₃)₃ and molecular hydrogen was investigated by kinetic analysis. The pK_a values for imines and for the corresponding amines were determined by quantum‐mechanical methods and provided a direct proportional relationship. The correlation of the two rate constants k₁ (simple catalytic cycle) and k₂ (autoinduced catalytic cycle) with pK_a difference between imine and amine pairs (ΔpK_a) or Hammett's σ parameter served as useful parameters to establish a structure–reactivity relationship for the FLP‐catalyzed hydrogenation of imines.