The key steps in enolate alkylation reactions involve the formation of an enolate ion from a carbonyl compound by deprotonation at the alpha position. A strong base such as LDA or NaH is typically used to remove the α hydrogen, forming a resonance-stabilized enolate anion. This nucleophilic enolate can then attack an alkyl halide (typically a primary alkyl halide to avoid side reactions such as elimination), leading to the formation of a new carbon-carbon bond at the alpha position.