. Can. J. Chem. 71, 51 (1993). The mechanism of reaction of boron trifluoride with amines, dialkyl ethers, and pyridine has been analyzed on the basis of the coordination model of reaction mechanisms. This model is tested mathematically by carrying out kinetic simulations of pathways P(X,C), accompanied by the calculation of structures of postulated intermediates by GAUSSIAN86 methods. Analyses of reaction mechanisms, including calculation of concentration vs. time curves, are reported for the following systems: NH3-BF,, MeNH2-BF,, Me20-Et20-BF,, Me20-Et20:BF3, pyridine-BF3, pyridine-Me3N-BF3, F3B:N-N:BF3, and (N-N)BF2+. XIAOBO Ou, ROBERT WALLACE et ALEXANDER F. JANZEN. Can. J . Chem. 71, 51 (1993). Faisant appel au modkle de coordination des mkcanismes rkactionnels, on a analysk le mecanisme reactionnel du trifluorure de bore avec les amines, les ethers dialkylks et la pyridine. On a kvaluk le modkle d'une faqon mathematique en effectuant des simulations cinktiques des diverses voies rkactionnelles P(X,C), tout en calculant les structures des intermkdiaires prksumks par des methodes gaussiennes-86. On rapporte des analyses des mkcanismes reactionnels, y compris des calculs de concentration vs. temps, pour les systkmes suivants : NH3-BF3, MeNH2-BF3, Me20-Et20-BF,, Me,OEt,0:BF3, pyridine-BF3, pyridine-Me3N-BF,, F3B:N-N:BF3 et (N-N)BF,+.[Traduit par la rkdaction]The coordination model of reaction mechanisms (1-3) describes in a formal way the discrete changes in coordination number and electron count of individual atoms and reDresents the connectivity of atoms in multistep pathways in graphical form as pathway P(x,c)., In this paper we wish to describe a mathematical test of the coordination model by comparing calculated results with extensive experimental data that are available for the reactions of boron trifluoride with Lewis bases (4-6). The model assumes that intermolecular steps, + C , are limited by the rate of diffusion and that steps which decrease the coordination number, -C and -Cc, are slower and depend on the strength of the bond that is cleaved, but cyclic intramolecular n-center steps, +C', are statistically favoured, particularly in the case of 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-center steps. Kinetic simulation of pathways P(X,C) is carried out by associating elementary rate constants with the four coordination number operators +C, -C, +Cc, and -Cc, while molecular orbital calculations are helpful in estimating relative rate constants for intermediates where experimental data are not available.Any mechanistic description of the BF,-base system must accommodate the f o l l o w~n~ experimental facts: (a) the formation of base:BF3 is a bimolecular process with rate constants in the range 1 0~-1 0~~ M-' s-' (7); (b) rates of reaction 'Presented at the 203rd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, April 5-10, 1992. '~u t h o r to whom correspondence may be addressed. 3~otation: A graph P(X,C) consists of a vertex set X of reactants, intermediates, and products, and an edge set C of coordination number operators +c, -C, ...