Ag2O on ZrO2 as a Recyclable Catalyst for Multicomponent Synthesis of Indenopyrimidine Derivatives

We describe the synthesis of silver loaded on zirconia and its use as an efficient catalyst for a one-pot three-component reaction to synthesize 11 indenopyrimidine derivatives, of which 7 are new compounds. The procedure involves substituted benzaldehydes, indane-1,3-dione, and guanidinium hydrochloride, with ethanol as solvent. The proposed green protocol at room temperature is simple and efficient, giving excellent yields (90-96%) in short reaction times (<30 min). The protocol works well according to the green chemistry principles with respect to high atom economy, no need for column separation, and reusability of the catalyst, which are attractive features. XRD, TEM, SEM, and BET analysis were used to characterize the catalyst materials.