Development of a new heterogeneous catalyst based on triple superphosphate for the one-pot multicomponent synthesis via green strategy, accompanied by a critical assessment of environmental sustainability metrics applied to the synthesis of 2,4,5-tri and 1,2,4,5-tetra substituted imidazole heterocycle derivatives

•A novel, highly efficient, and eco-friendly heterogeneous catalyst has been synthesized through the incorporation of cerium (Ce) into TSP.•This catalyst demonstrates exceptional catalytic activity, facilitating the synthesis of a variety of 2,4,5-tri and 1,2,4,5-tetra substituted imidazole derivatives in a single-pot multicomponent process.•The catalyst exhibits impressive recyclability, maintaining its catalytic efficiency over five consecutive cycles, thereby reducing waste and promoting more sustainable chemical practices.•The heterogeneous nature of the catalyst ensures straightforward separation from the reaction mixture, enhancing its practicality and ease of use. A new catalyst, cerium phosphate (Ce(NO3)3/TSP), has been developed through a straightforward co-precipitation method. This catalyst was thoroughly characterized using techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The research focused on the application of Ce(NO3)3/TSP in the of 2,4,5-tri and 1,2,4,5-tetra substituted imidazole reaction with ammonium acetate, amine derivatives, benzil, and various aldehydes. The catalyst demonstrated outstanding performance, achieving product yields of 90-97% in just 8-10 minutes in an ethanol medium. The heterogeneity of the reaction was confirmed by a hot filtration test. This catalyst offers significant benefits, including easy recovery, reusability for at least five cycles, a simple work-up procedure, and high product yields. An evaluation of sustainability using green metrics such as the E-factor, atom economy (AE), reaction mass efficiency (RME), carbon efficiency (CE), and optimum efficiency (OE) indicated that this catalyst greatly enhances the environmental sustainability of the 2,4,5-tri and 1,2,4,5-tetra substituted imidazole reaction. [Display omitted]