Various 4-amino-5-cyanopyrimidines were readily prepared in a few minutes with good yields through a one-pot, three-component reaction of aldehydes, malononitrile and amidines in aqueous media in the presence of catalytic amounts of potassium carbonate. Short reaction times, high efficiency, generality of the method, synthesis of new derivatives, inexpensiveness, and non-toxicity of the catalyst/solvent are the interesting features of this method, which make it eco-friendly and highly attractive.
Keywords: 4-amino-5-cyanopyrimidines, aldehydes, amidines, malononitrile, potassium carbonate, eco-friendly.