In this study a highly efficient protocol is reported to synthesize 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives using 2.5% Y2O3/ZrO2 as heterogeneous catalyst. The one-pot, four-component reaction involves substituted aldehyde, malononitrile, 4-bromoaniline, and dimethylacetylenedicarboxylate in the green solvent ethanol. The new catalyst material is characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, TEM, SEM, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analysis techniques. The key benefits of this novel approach are easy workup, green solvent, short reaction times (<20 min), energy efficient reaction conditions, and no chromatographic separation techniques plus excellent yields (88-95%).