The rare earth metal and hafnium triflate-catalyzed secondary benzylation and allylation of 1, 3-diketones, ketoesters, and ketoamides are described. The procedure was carried out under non-anhydrous conditions. Various 1-phenylethyl cations were generated from substituted 1-phenylethanols using 0.5 mol% of the metal triflates in CH3NO2. The cations reacted with 1, 3-diketones and ketoesters to give benzylated products in high yields. ...