Metal-free hydrogenation of substituted pyridines, quinolines, and several other N-heterocycles is achieved upon treatment of the nitrogen-based Lewis base with an equivalent of the Lewis acid B(C6F5)(3) and H-2 (4 atm) at 115 degrees C, to afford the ammonium-[HB(C6F5)(3)] salts of the reduced N-heterocycles.