2-Methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone formation fromp-chlorobenzaldehyde undergoes a change in rate-determining step at high pH, similar to that at low pH, from rate-determining dehydration of the carbinolamine intermediate to partially rate-determining attack of the nucleophile on the carbonyl group. The attack step is subject to general base catalysis. Brpnsted plots for tertiary amines and oxygen anions exhibit breaks for bases of less than 6. This curvature is consistent with that expected for a simple rate-determining proton transfer reaction between the dipolar addition intermediate ± and the catalyzing base. However, the break occurs at a higher than expected from the estimated value for T= of 3.1. Better agreement is found for a preassociation mechanism with rapid, stepwise proton transfer within an encounter complex after the formation of T±. According to this mechanism, N-C bond formation within an encounter complex that contains the base catalyst is rate determining with strong bases and there is a change to rate-determining proton transfer with weaker bases. The magnitude of the observed catalytic constants is consistent with that expected for such a mechanism, but is significantly smaller than expected for a concerted mechanism. General acid catalysis of 2-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazide addition to p-chlorobenzaldehyde by carboxylic and cacodylic acids closely resembles that observed for the addition of other weakly basic amines (a -0.2). It is suggested that general acid, unlike general base, catalysis involves some stabilization of the transition state for carbon-nitrogen bond formation by the catalyst. Agrowing body of evidence concerning general gests that in some cases these proton transfers proacid-base catalysis of complex reactions involving ceed by discrete steps, rather than by a process that is proton transfers to or from electronegative atoms sug-4648) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Develop-(1) Supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (GB ment of the National Institutes of Health (HD 01247).Sayer, Jencks / Mechanism and Catalysis of 2-Methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone Formation (11) J.