(E)-2-Methyl-3-(2-methyl-2-nitrovinyl)-1H-indole and (E)-3-(2-methyl-2-nitrovinyl)-2-phenyl-1H-indole.

In the title compounds, C12H12N2O2, (I), and C17H14N2O2, (II), respectively, the indole rings are planar and the vinyl groups lie out of the indole planes, making dihedral angles of 33.48 (5) and 41.31 (8) degrees , respectively. In (II), the dihedral angle between the phenyl and indole ring planes is 32.06 (6) degrees . In both molecules, the double bond connecting the methylnitrovinyl group and the indole nucleus adopts an E configuration. Notwithstanding the differences in space group [C2/c for (I) and P2(1)2(1)2(1) for (II)], the mode of packing of compounds (I) and (II) is determined by similar intermolecular N-H...O hydrogen-bonding interactions, forming chains that run parallel to [101] in (I) and [001] in (II).