An efficient, convenient and green method has been introduced for the preparation of 14-aryl(alkyl)-14H-dibenzo[a,j]xanthene and 1,8-dioxooctahydroxanthene derivatives by the reaction of aldehydes with 2-naphthol and 5,5-dimethyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione, respectively, in the presence of ZrO(OTf)2 as a reusable catalyst under solvent-free conditions. In addition, very short reaction times, excellent yields, straightforward procedure, and relatively non-toxicity of the catalyst axe other noteworthy advantages of the present method.