Ion/molecule reactions of saturated hydrocarbons (n‐hexane, cyclohexane, n‐heptane, n‐octane and isooctane) in 28‐Torr N2 plasma generated by a hollow cathode discharge ion source were investigated using an Orbitrap mass spectrometer. It was found that the ions with [M+14]+ were observed as the major ions (M: sample molecule). The exact mass analysis revealed that the ions are nitrogenated molecules, [M+N]+ formed by the reactions of N3+ with M. The reaction, N3+ + M → [M+N]+ + N2, were examined by the density functional theory calculations. It was found that N3+ abstracts the H atom from hydrocarbon molecules leading to the formation of protonated imines in the forms of R′R″CNH2+ (i.e. C–H bond nitrogenation). This result is in accord with the fact that elimination of NH3 is the major channel for MS/MS of [M+N]+. That is, nitrogen is incorporated in the C–H bonds of saturated hydrocarbons. No nitrogenation was observed for benzene and acetone, which was ascribed to the formation of stable charge‐transfer complexes benzene⋅⋅⋅⋅N3+ and acetone⋅⋅⋅⋅N3+ revealed by density functional theory calculations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.