• Alkylation of malonate esters with tertiary halides can be accomplished using AlCl3 in nitromethane, avoiding the competing elimination reaction: Liebigs Ann. Chem., 718, 101 (1968). For alkylation of malononitrile, see: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 5, 1044 (1966); Org. Synth. Coll., 6, 223 (1988). For high yield alkylation of TMS enol ethers of ketones by reaction with tert-alkyl halides in the presence of various Lewis acid catalysts, see: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 17, 48 (1978); Chem. Ber., 113, 3734 (1980).