The present invention relates to an iridium-based catalyst compound for hydrogenating reducible moieties, especially imines and iminiums, the catalyst compounds being defined by the formulas: where ring B is either itself polycyclic, or ring B together with R is polycyclic. The catalysts of the invention are particularly effective in reductive amination procedures
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which involve the in situ generation of the imine or iminium under reductive hydrogenative conditions.