New full-substituted cyclopropanes derived from the one-pot reaction of Meldrum's acid with aldehydes and BrCN in the presence of Et3N

Reaction of 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxane-4,6-dione (Meldrum's acid) with various aldehydes in the presence of cyanogen bromide and triethylamine leads to the selective and efficient formation of full-substituted cyclopropanes at room temperature. The products were obtained in good to excellent yields. Structure elucidation is carried out by 1H, 13C NMR, FT-IR spectroscopy and mass analysis techniques. A possible mechanism for the formation is discussed.