Synthesis, characterization and investigation of catalytic activity of a highly sulfonated carbon solid acid in the synthesis of dihydropyrimidinones under solvent-free conditions

A highly sulfonated carbon as an efficient, recyclable, nontoxic and green solid acid catalyst was synthesized readily by simultaneous sulfonation, dehydration and carbonization of sucrose C¹²H²²O¹¹ in sulfuric acid and was characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermal gravimetric and differential thermal gravimetric analysis (TG-DTG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), carbon-hydrogen-nitrogen-sulfur analysis (CHNS), neutralization potentiometric titration and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This new catalyst was used in one pot three-component condensation reaction of various aromatic aldehydes with ??-ketoester and urea under solvent-free conditions to afford the corresponding dihydropyrimidinones (DHPMs). This catalyst can be reused several times without loss of its activity.