A practical and highly efficient protocol for multicomponent synthesis of β-phosphonomalononitriles and 2-amino-4H-chromen-4-yl phosphonates using diethylamine as a novel organocatalyst
has been demonstrated for the first time to be a highly efficient organocatalyst in the solvent-free synthesis of β-phosphonomalononitriles by a three component condensation of aldehyde, malononitrile and dialkyl phosphite at ambient temperature. The applicability of the same catalyst in the synthesis of diethyl (2-amino-3-cyano-chromene-4-yl) phosphonic acid esters has also been described.