A novel protocol for solvent-free synthesis of 4,6-diaryl-3,4-dihydropyrimidine-2(1H)-ones catalyzed by metal oxide–MWCNTs nanocomposites

•Easy reaction condition, recyclable green catalyst and reduced environmental impacts.•The catalyst has high activity, selectivity, reusability, reasonable cost and long lifetime.•TiO2–MWCNTs catalyst is significantly more effective than other acid catalysts in the Biginelli-like reaction.

A Biginelli-like condensation is described using acetophenone as active methylene compound with aldehydes and urea to furnish pyrimidinone analogues under solvent-free conditions. In this paper, besides the preparation of nanocomposites based on MWCNTs, our investigations have been focused on the catalytic efficiency of metal oxide–MWCNTs composites. The requisites of a good catalyst are high activity, selectivity, reusability, reasonable cost and long lifetime. The application of solvent-free conditions and transition metal oxides decorated–MWCNTs (MOx–MWCNTs) nanocomposites as attractive, effective and reusable catalysts leads to the efficient synthesis of 4,6-diaryl-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2-(1H)-ones. This recyclable heterogeneous catalytic system provides a simple strategy to generate a variety of pyrimidinones under solvent-free conditions. Utilization of easy reaction condition, recyclable green catalyst, reduced environmental impacts and simple work-up make this methodology as an interesting option for the eco-friendly synthesis of Biginelli-like compounds.