In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were fabricated using Arabic gum as a reducing and stabilizing agent by the novel sol-gel method without adding any surfactants. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Subsequently, ZnO nanoparticles as efficient catalysts were consumed for the three-component coupling of 2-naphthol, aldehydes, and dimedone under microwave irradiation and solvent-free conditions in order to furnish the corresponding synthesis of 12-aryl-tetrahydrobenzo[α]xanthene-11-one derivatives in high yields.
