(Z)-3-(Benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)-2-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)acrylonitrile and (E)-3-(benzo[b]thiophen-2-yl)-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)acrylonitrile. [corrected].

The title compounds, C20H17NO3S, (I), and C19H15NO2S, (II), were prepared by the reaction of benzo[b]thiophene-2-carbaldehyde with (3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)acetonitrile and (3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)acetonitrile, respectively, in the presence of methanolic potassium hydroxide. In (I), the C=C bond linking the benzo[b]thiophene and the 3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl units has E geometry, with dihedral angles between the plane of the bridging unit and the planes of the two adjacent ring systems of 5.2 (3) and 13.1 (2) degrees, respectively. However, in (II), the C=C bond has Z geometry, with dihedral angles between the plane of the bridging unit and the planes of the adjacent benzo[b]thiophene and 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl units of 4.84 (17) and 76.09 (7) degrees, respectively. There are no significant intermolecular hydrogen-bonding interactions in the packing of (I) and (II). The packing is essentially stabilized via van der Waals forces.