Synthesis, characterization, and investigation the catalytic potential of diammonium phosphate modified with bismuth for the one-pot synthesis of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones through a three-component reaction: An in-depth evaluation using green metrics

•A highly efficient and sustainable heterogeneous catalyst has been successfully synthesized through the modification of DAP with bismuth (Bi).•The catalyst exhibits remarkable catalytic efficacy, resulting in the successful synthesis of diverse 4-Dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones derivatives, through a one-pot multicomponent.•The catalyst demonstrates effective recyclability, retaining its efficiency through five consecutive uses. This not only minimizes waste generation but also contributes to the enhanced sustainability of chemical processes.•The catalyst's heterogeneous nature allows for easy separation from the reaction mixture, providing a significant advantage in terms of practicality and ease of use. A straightforward synthesis of a novel catalyst, bismuth phosphate (Bi(NO3)3/DAP), was achieved using a co-precipitation method. The resulting material underwent thorough characterization employing various techniques, including X-ray diffraction, FTIR, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and EDX. We investigated the application of Bi(NO3)3/DAP as a catalyst in the 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones reaction between urea, ethyl acetoacetate, and various aldehydes. The results demonstrated that the catalyst exhibited excellent catalytic performance, leading to the production of products with impressive yields (89–97 %) in just 15 min in an ethanol medium. Additionally, the heterogeneity of the reaction was confirmed through a hot filtration test. Notably, this catalyst presents notable benefits, such as its easy recovery and ability to be reused for a minimum of five successive cycles, a simple work-up procedure, and the attainment of high product yields. A sustainability evaluation based on green metrics using the E-factor, atom economy (AE), reaction mass efficiency (RME), and optimum efficiency (OE) revealed that the use of a catalyst in the Biginelli reaction enhances environmental sustainability. [Display omitted]