Alkylations of active methylene compounds with the Mannich bases of nitroparaffins are shown to proceed more readily when the displaced amine has large bulky groups attached to it. The yields of the alkylation product in the reaction of the Mannich base of nitroethane with malonic, acetoacetic and acetylsuccinic esters doubled when piperidine was replaced by the more bulky diisopropylamine. In a similar manner alkylations of nitroparaffins with ...