BiCl3-ZrO2 as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst is prepared by a simple process and characterized by FT-IR, powder XRD, SEM-EDX, XRF and BET surface area analyses. Thermal stability of the catalyst has been examined by DSC-TG analyses. The catalyst is recyclable for several runs preserving its high activity. The catalytic activity of BiCl3-ZrO2 is explained by synthesizing a series of novel pyrazolyl chalcones in excellent yields. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.