A sustainable molybdenum oxide loaded on zirconia (MoO3/ZrO2) catalysed multicomponent reaction to synthesise novel dihydropyridines

We have synthesised the robust molybdenum oxide supported on zirconium oxide (MoO3/ZrO2) by a simple wet-impregnation method. It proved an effective catalyst for synthesising eleven novel dihydropyridine derivatives in excellent yields (92–96%). The one-pot four-component fusion involved dimethyl-2-amine pyridine, diethyl but-2-ynedioate, various benzaldehydes and malononitrile in ethanol. The swift reactions at room temperature were accomplished in <18 min. The nanocomposite catalyst is stable up to five successive runs with similar catalytic activity. Swift reaction, recyclability, excellent yields, mild conditions, simple workup and column-free protocol are the advantages of this method.