“…Significant research has been carried out and many approaches have appeared for the aromatization of Hantzsch 1,4-dihydropyridines, such as oxidation with Tl(NO 3 ) 3 · 3 H 2 O [3], BaMnO 4 [4], photochemical reactions [5], KMnO 4 [6], solid supported pyridinium chlorochromate (PCC) [7], silica gel supported ferric nitrate [8], nitric oxide [9], MnO 2 [10], ceric ammonium nitrate (CAN) [11], tert-butylhydroproxide [12], clay supported cupric nitrate [13], Bi(NO 3 ) 3 [14], I 2 /MeOH [15], Zr(NO 3 ) 4 [16], tetrakis-pyridine cobalt(II) dichromate (TPCD) [17], iodobenzene diacetate [18], NaNO 2 /NaHSO 4 /SiO 2 [19], NaNO 2 /C 2 H 2 O 4 [20], 3-carboxypyridinium chlorochromate (CPCC) [21], K 2 S 2 O 8 /Co(NO 3 ) 2 [22] and RuCl 3 /O 2 [23]. In continuing our effort to find a milder and high-yielding oxidant for the Hantzsch 1,4-DHPs, herein we wish to report that urea-hydrogen peroxide (UHP) in combination with maleic anhydride (MA) can serve as a powerful oxidant for the aromatization of the Hantzsch 1,4-DHPs.…”