CeCl3 center dot 7H2O-Catalyzed One-Pot Synthesis of Hantzsch 1,4-Dihydropyridines at Room Temperature

An efficient synthesis of a series of 1,4-dihydropyridines was accomplished at room temperature by the reaction of aldehydes with ammonium acetate and ethyl acetoacetate catalyzed by CeCl3 center dot 7H2O.