Synthesis of bis(4-pyridylamino)triazine stabilized on silica-coated nano-Fe3O4 particles, and their feasibility as a reusable heterogeneous basic catalyst are reported. The catalytic performance of this novel material was studied for the green synthesis of highly functionalized 4H-pyran, 4H-thiopyran and 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives via one-pot multicomponent reactions. Eco-friendly method, high yield and purity of desired products, short reaction time along with ease of workup procedure outline the advantages of these new methodologies over earlier ones. Surface and magnetic properties of the core–shell hybrid nanoparticles were characterized via transmission and scanning electron microscopies, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies and vibrating sample magnetometry