Use of nanoporous Na+-montmorillonite sulfonic acid (SANM) as an eco-benign, efficient and reusable solid acid catalyst for the one-pot synthesis of 14-aryl-14-H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes and 1,8-dioxo-dodecahydroxanthene derivatives

Nanoporous Na+-montmorillonite sulfonic acid was found to be an efficient and green catalyst for the synthesis of various 14-aryl-14H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthenes and 1,8-dioxo-dodecahydroxanthene derivatives by the reaction of aldehydes with 2-naphthol and 1,3-cyclohexanedione, respectively. This novel synthetic method has the advantages of high yields, short reaction times and recyclability of the catalyst, simplicity and easy workup compared to the conventional methods reported in the literature.