Ethyl potassium malonate (potassium ethyl malonate) reacts with aryl nitriles in the presence of zinc chloride and a catalytic amount of Hünig′s base to yield β-amino acrylates. Ethyl potassium malonate is formed as an intermediate during the synthesis of ethyl tert-butyl malonate. Ethyl potassium malonate (potassium ethyl malonate) reacts with aryl nitriles in the presence of zinc chloride and a catalytic amount of Hünig′s base to yield β-amino acrylates. Ethyl potassium malonate is formed as an intermediate during the synthesis of ethyl tert-butyl malonate. Ethyl potassium malonate (potassium ethyl malonate) may be used to generate (trimethylsilyl)ethyl malonate in situ, which can be acylated to prepare a variety of β-ketoesters or alkylidene malonates.