A clean and efficient, mediated in water and assisted by ultrasound method for the synthesis of a series of N-substituted 1-amino-3-ferrocenyl-3-oxoprop-1-enes starting from acetyl ferrocene was developed. Our approach offers shortening of the reaction time under the mild reaction conditions and easy work up procedure.

(E)-3-(2-Methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-1-(4-methylphenyl)propenone has been prepared, and its crystal structure (C19H17NO, Mr = 275.34) has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The title compound crystallized in the triclinic system with space group P1 and unit cell parameters: a = 9.4014 (5) ?, b = 9.8347 (4) ?, c = 10.0318 (5) ?, ? = 62.821 (3)°, B = 85.539 (3)°, ? = 65.262 (3)° and Z = 2. The final reliability index is 0.053 for the 2807 observed reflections. The title compound is linked through N–H···O hydrogen bonds.