Boric acid in aqueous micellar medium: an effective and recyclable catalytic system for the synthesis of aryl-7,8-dihydro[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidine-6-carbonitriles

A simple, green, and efficient protocol is reported for the preparation of aryl-7,8-dihydro[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]-pyrimidine-6-carbonitriles through one-pot multi component reaction using substituted aromatic aldehydes, malononitrile, and 3-amino[1,2,4]triazole. The reaction is catalyzed by boric acid in aqueous micellar condition. Present protocol incorporates environmentally non-hazardous reaction condition, easy work-up, and use of recyclable catalytic system with associated benefits like excellent yield (84–96%) and shorter reaction time (20 min). Proposed methodology offers rapid access to substituted aryl-7,8-dihydro[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyrimidine-6-carbonitriles with high atom-economy and catalytic efficiency.