Applications of Nano‐ZrO₂ in Synthesis of Heterocycles

Abstract Over the past decade, metal‐oxide nanoparticles have attracted the scientific community due to their extensive use in medicinal and pharmaceutical industries. In addition, metal‐based nanoparticles have made extraordinary development as a catalyst in the construction of diversely functionalized heterocycles. There is a surge of applications of nano metal oxides as a mild, inexpensive, efficient, green, reusable, heterogeneous catalyst for various organic transformations. Among numerous metal oxide nanoparticles, zirconia‐based catalysts find wide applications to construct a diverse range of heterocycles using multicomponent reactions. The current article selectively reviews the applications of nano‐ZrO 2 as a useful heterogeneous catalyst for the one‐pot green synthesis of a variety of heterocyclic scaffolds reported from 2011 onward. This review is divided into five sections: synthesis of i) five‐membered heterocycles with one heteroatom, ii) five‐membered heterocycles with two heteroatoms, iii) five‐membered heterocycles with three/four heteroatoms, iv) six‐membered heterocycles, and v) tandem construction of two heterocycles.