“…Example: ethyl 2-methyl-4-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-3-oxohexanoate (7). Triethylamine (12.0 ml, 86.4 mmol) and magnesium dichloride (6.43 g, 67.5 mmol) were added to a stirred suspension of potassium 2-methylmalonate monoethyl ester (10.44 g, 56.7 mmol) in dry acetonitrile (90 ml) and stirring was continued at room temperature for 2 h. Then, a solution of the 2-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-butyric imidazolide in the same solvent (28 ml), prepared 15 min before by a reaction between 2-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)butyric acid (6.29 g, 27.0 mmol) and N,N 0 -carbonyldiimidazole (5.25 g, 32.4 mmol) in acetonitrile (28 ml), was added.…”