Cyclopentanone reacts with malononitrile catalyzed by piperidine or sodium acetate to afford under any case cyclopentylidenemalononitrile dimer: 5-aminospiro-[2,6,7,7a-tetrahydroindene-7,1-cyclopentane]-4,6,6-tricarbonitrile (7) as the sole product. Contrary to this behavior, cyclohexanone reacts with malononitrile catalyzed by piperidine to afford the analogous cyclohexylidenemalononitrile dimer: 2-aminospiro-[3,4,5,6,7,4a-hexahydronaphthalene-4,1-cyclohexane]-1,3,3-tricarbonitrile (11); whereas when the reaction is catalyzed by sodium acetate, it afforded 9,10-diaza-8,11-dioxo-tricyclo-[4.3.3.0(1,6)]-dodecane-7,12-dicarbonitrile (12). The structures of these products were established on the basis of their elemental analysis and spectral data, and plausible mechanism has been postulated to account for their formation. X-ray crystallography was carried out as a further evidence for structures7 and 12.