Reaction of [2,3,4,5-Ph(4)(eta(5)-C(4)COH)Ru(CO)(2)H] (2) with different imines afforded ruthenium amine complexes at low temperatures. At higher temperatures in the presence of 2, the complexes decomposed to give [Ru(2)(CO)(4)(mu-H)(C(4)Ph(4)COHOCC(4)Ph(4))] (1) and free amine. Electron-rich imines gave ruthenium amine complexes with 2 at a lower temperature than did electron-deficient imines. The negligible deuterium isotope effect (k(RuHOH)/k(RuDOD) = 1.05) observed in the reaction of 2 with N-phenyl[1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethylidene]amine (12) shows that neither hydride (RuH) nor proton (OH) is transferred to the imine in the rate-determining step. In the dehydrogenation of N-phenyl-1-phenylethylamine (4) to the corresponding imine 8 by [2,3,4,5-Ph(4)(eta(4)-C(4)CO)Ru(CO)(2)] (A), the kinetic isotope effects observed support a stepwise hydrogen transfer where the isotope effect for C-H cleavage (k(CHNH)/k(CDNH) = 3.24) is equal to the combined (C-H, N-H) isotope effect (k(CHNH)/k(CDND) = 3.26). Hydrogenation of N-methyl(1-phenylethylidene)amine (14) by 2 in the presence of the external amine trap N-methyl-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethylamine (16) afforded 90-100% of complex [2,3,4,5-Ph(4)(eta(4)-C(4)CO)]Ru(CO)(2)NH(CH(3))(CHPhCH(3)) (15), which is the complex between ruthenium and the amine newly generated from the imine. At -80 degrees C the reaction of hydride 2 with 4-BnNH-C(6)H(9)=NPh (18), with an internal amine trap, only afforded [2,3,4,5-Ph(4)(eta(4)-C(4)CO)](CO)(2)RuNH(Ph)(C(6)H(10)-4-NHBn) (19), where the ruthenium binds to the amine originating from the imine, showing that neither complex A nor the diamine is formed. Above -8 degrees C complex 19 rearranged to the thermodynamically more stable [Ph(4)(eta(4)-C(4)CO)](CO)(2)RuNH(Bn)(C(6)H(10)-4-NHPh) (20). These results are consistent with an inner sphere mechanism in which the substrate coordinates to ruthenium prior to hydrogen transfer and are difficult to explain with the outer sphere pathway previously proposed.