To a flame-dried 20-mL microwave vial equipped with a magnetic stir bar was added ester 9-5 (100.0 mg, 0.18 mmol, 1.0 equiv) and PhMe (0.9 mL, 0.2 M). The reaction vessel was then transferred to a 0 °C ice-water bath. To the reaction mixture was added Et2Zn (430 µL, 0.35 mmol, 2.0 equiv, 15 wt. % in PhMe) dropwise over two minutes, resulting in an orange reaction mixture. After stirring at 0 °C for 5 minutes, diiodomethane (57 µL, 0.71 mmol, 4.0 equiv) was added dropwise. The reaction vessel was removed from the ice-water bath and allowed to stir at room temperature.