Microwave assisted solvent-free synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones by Biginelli reaction over Si-MCM-41 supported FeCl3 catalyst

Among the Si-MCM-41 or montmorillonite K 10 clay supported ZnCl2, AlCl3, GaCl3, InCl3 and FeCl3 catalysts, FeCl3/Si-MCM-41 shows best performance for the microwave-assisted synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones by the Biginelli reaction involving multicomponent condensation of aromatic aldehyde, ethyl acetoacetate and urea in the absence of any solvent. It is a promising catalyst for the microwave-assisted reaction providing high product yield in a short period (3.0-5.0 min). (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.