Effect of Poly(ethylene glycol)‐400 and Carbon on MoO3 Nanocomposite Materials and Its Catalytic Activity

The effect of addition of poly(ethylene glycol)‐400 (PEG‐400) and carbon (0, 1, 2 and 3 wt%) as substrates were investigated systematically to get the desired phase of carbon‐doped MoO₃ material. The carbon source was prepared from the Acacia arabica plant wood. The resulting samples were calcined at 500°C. The effect of PEG‐400 and carbon composite on the structure, particle size and morphology were investigated. The prepared samples were characterized by XRD, SEM‐EDS and FT‐IR techniques. The samples with PEG‐400 and carbon addition give better control of particle size and porosity. The prepared catalysts were tested for the synthesis of 3,4‐dihydropyrimidones via the Biginelli‐type condensation reaction. This new method consistently has the advantage of excellent yields (88%–93%) and short reaction times (1.5–3 h) than do classical Biginelli reaction conditions.