Electrocatalytic multicomponent cyclization of an aldehyde, malononitrile and a malonate into 3-substituted-2,2-dicyanocyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylate—the first one-pot synthesis of a cyclopropane ring from three different molecules

Electrolysis of an aldehyde, malononitrile and a malonate in an alcohol in an undivided cell in the presence of sodium acetate–sodium halide as a double mediatory system results in the formation of 3-substituted-2,2-dicyanocyclopropane-1,1-dicarboxylates in 40–60% yields.