Ceria-Vanadia/Silica-Catalyzed Cascade for C-C and C-O Bond Activation: Green One-Pot Synthesis of 2-Amino-3-cyano-4H-pyrans.

We designed a ceria-vanadia/silica (Ce-V/SiO2) heterogeneous catalyst and used it for the green and efficient synthesis of 2-amino-3-cyano-4H-pyran derivatives. The green reaction was a multicomponent one-pot condensation of 5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione, aromatic aldehyde, and malononitrile in an eco-compatible solvent (ethanol). The catalyst was synthesized and fully characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. The reported procedure offers a number of advantages including decreased reaction times, mild conditions, high yields, operational simplicity, and environmentally benign and simple work-up procedures. Furthermore, the catalyst is economical, fully recyclable, and reusable for over five runs while preserving its high activity. The synthesized 2-amino-3-cyano-4H-pyran products can later be used for pharmaceutical purposes.